Yesterday was the first warm, sunny day in London this month.
The Household Cavalry were doing a dress rehearsal for the Major General’s inspection. I had seen them at it on Monday when they were not mounted and traipsing around learning their choreography in the rain. Yesterday they looked magnificent and members of the public put their dogs on leashes and enjoyed the spectacle saying knowledgeably it was a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour. Actually I thought it was a rehearsal for the Birthday Parade but a Trooper put me right. Being unfamiliar with the Major General’s inspection he put me in the picture, as they are fond of saying in the army. “It’s a tick in the box exercise, Sir, to check we are good to appear in public.” The Household Cavalry website expatiates although I think the Trooper got it right.
The Major General’s Inspection is the annual test of the regiment’s ability to conduct state ceremonial duties for the year. During the parade more than 160 men and horses including the Household Cavalry Band with their magnificent Drum Horses, trot and canter across the grass of Hyde Park in a display of military mounted precision.
Sorry, I have digressed. I was on my way to the Queen’s Gallery, an annexe of Buckingham Palace, to see an exhibition of the highest quality. Usually these blockbuster shows have pictures with Air Miles. All these pictures came a short distance from the Queen’s picture gallery in the palace. You may have seen them on a visit to BP but, as it happens, I had never seen them.
“Spectacular paintings widely recognised as among the highlights of the Royal Collection – including works by Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer, van Dyck and Canaletto – are on display together in a gallery exhibition for the first time. Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace, brings together 65 of the most treasured paintings that usually hang in the Picture Gallery, one of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace” (Royal Collections Trust)
A frequent contributor on the audio guide is Desmond Shawe-Taylor, who curated the exhibition. He was, until the end of last year, Surveyor of The Queen’s Pictures – a role dating back to 1625. The post is now in abeyance as part of a cost-cutting exercise. Personally, I would prefer the Dukedom of Sussex to go into abeyance.
