French soldiers take part in Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace for first time

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French soldiers have guarded Buckingham Palace for the first time marking a historic second in cross-Channel relations.

France grew to become the first non-commonwealth nation to take part in the Changing the Guard ceremony at 11am on Monday, marking the a hundred and twentieth anniversary of the Entente Cordiale.

Crowds and members of the royal household seemed on as members of the Gendarmerie’s Garde Republicaine joined the Scots Guards to parade collectively, watched on by crowds.

The French Gendarmerie have been marched on and off the palace forecourt by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, who carried out each nations’ nationwide anthems as a “symbol of the strength of the relationship between” the two nations.

The landmark procession was organised to mark the historic diplomatic settlement between Britain and France that laid the groundwork for their collaboration in each world wars.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh joined the eager onlookers as they inspected the occasion.

The royals stood alongside the UK Chief of General Staff (CGS), General Sir Patrick Sanders, the French Chief of the Army Staff, General Pierre Schill, and the French ambassador to the UK Helene Duchene.

Lt Col James Shaw, who has been accountable for designing the ceremony, advised the PA information company at rehearsals on Friday: “This is a sign of the strength of our relations. The French are some of our closest friends.

“And who knows when we might need each other?”

The procession adopted the same guard change attended by President Macron in Paris earlier on Monday.

While the French troops will take part in the historical ceremony in London, they won’t take the place of their British counterparts in guarding the King as this duty is simply afforded to members of the British Armed Forces and Commonwealth troops.

The Ministry of Defence mentioned the look by French personnel at Buckingham Palace varieties part of a longer-term programme of joint UK-French exercise that celebrates the two nations’ historic army and diplomatic ties in 2024.

This will embody army sporting occasions, participation in one another’s air reveals, and main occasions in Normandy this June to commemorate the heroic service of Allied veterans who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation.

Garrison Sgt Maj Andrew Stokes, who has been accountable for delivering all ceremonial coaching, added: “It is crucial for everyone in Nato to have a strong relationship.

“And this is an opportunity to both celebrate the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale and also demonstrate our close relations with the French.

“Our first rehearsal went really well so we’re not nervous at all.

“It will be a wonderful celebration and an opportunity for the public to witness such a spectacle.”