This article from The Telegraph commemorates an important milestone for female soldiers in the British Army.
From the Telegraph of London: (
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Changing (sex) of the guard at the castle
By Daily Telegraph Reporter 12:01AM BST 03 Apr 2007
Female soldiers took over guarding Windsor Castle yesterday for the first time in its history.
The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will perform the duty throughout this month at the Queen's Berkshire home, which has been a royal residence and fortress for more than 900 years.
A team of 20 soldiers, including five women, have been trained for the task and today marched into the castle led by a brass band and watched by scores of onlookers.
The women and men all wore ceremonial uniforms of plumed busbies and short gold braided tunics. They carried ceremonial swords.
They will provide a 24-hour guard, with soldiers standing on duty for two hours at a time.
Each day - except Sundays - they will perform the changing of the guard, known as guard mounting.
The new guard marches up Windsor High Street from Victoria Barracks to the Castle and replaces the old guard. In January, the King's Troop became the first unit in the 350-year history of the Household Division to have a woman as commanding officer.
Major Erica Bridge, who commanded a Royal Salute in Hyde Park for the Golden Jubilee, took charge of 168 officers and soldiers as well as 120 horses at their barracks in St John's Wood, north London.
She is too senior to perform sentry duty.
It is the first time the King's Troop itself has been asked to perform guard duty at Windsor, the largest occupied castle in the world.
A spokesman for the regiment said: "We're confident that women have not guarded the castle before.
"Ninety-nine per cent of guards are done by foot guards battalions which are completely male organised."
The King's Troop, formed more than 60 years ago, is usually known for firing gun salutes on State occasions.
Around 40 per cent of its soldiers are women, the spokesman said."