From 20 April to the end of the summer, the changing of the guards will take place at the Royal Palace (Stockholm) on horseback. This is something the soldiers and the horses need to train for. As a result, they will be conducting a test ride of the route on 12-14 April.
“The rehearsal is a safety and security measure. The horses have not gone along the route for one year and the soldiers who will be riding the horses are new,” says Major Peter Rosén.
The changing of the guards may involve queuing in traffic, just like in the summer. To minimize the interruption to traffic they will be riding during early morning, Tuesday to Thursday between 06.00 to 07.30. The Life Guard’s Dragoon Band, which will be in the lead in the parade, will ride on Friday, 15 April at 13.00 to 15.00.
The route to the Royal Palace is Lidingövägen-Stureplan-Hamngatan-Kungsträdgårdsgatan-Strömgatan-Gustav Adolfs torg-Norrbro-Skeppsbron-Slottsbacken-yttre borggården. It is the same route as during the summer.
The route taken by the parade from the Royal Palace is yttre borggården-Skeppsbron-Strömbron-Stallgatan-Nybroplan-Strandvägen-Narvavägen-Banérgatan-Valhallavägen-Erik Dahlbergsgatan-Kavallerikasern.
The soldiers who will be riding are the last of the volunteers who have completed their basic training in accordance with the national conscription model which has lasted for a period of 10 months. Starting this autumn, the mounted sections of the state ceremonial will be carried out by employed personnel. Recruitment for the department, the Lifeguard Regiment, has recently started.
The changing of the guards on 20 April takes place at the outer courtyard at 12.15.
On Sundays, the guards will be changed at 13.15.