The other day as we were leaving Clarence House we ran into a few of Her Majesty's guards. They were returning from the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, which is just down the Mall. We followed them, along with a large group of tourists, as they marched down the Mall and turned at St James Palace.
Here they are, having just turned around in Friary Court at St James (the brick building in the background). St James isn't open to the public, sadly, but it has an interesting history. Henry VIII built it on the site of a leper hospital, making it the oldest of the royal residences in London. Monarchs continued to use St James as a residence until Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace. Now, Princes William and Harry have rooms here.
I would think it would get a little loud with the marching band banging on for hours on end every day, but I guess you get used to it.
