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

French soldiers have taken part in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace for the first time, marking a historic moment in Anglo-French relations.

The landmark guard change event, which was held at 11am on Monday, was the first time a non-Commonwealth country has participated.

Soldiers commemorated the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale – a historic agreement by both countries which served as a foundation for their relationship during the World Wars.

The soldiers were inspected by Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie from Buckingham Palace’s forecourt. The King, who is continuing to undergo cancer treatment, was not present.

The soldiers walked past 32 members of the 1st and 2nd Infantry regiments of the Garde Republicaine. Thereafter, 40 guardsmen from F Company Scots Guards lined up opposite their French counterparts.

However, French soldiers did not guard the King, a responsibility typically left to British Armed Forces and Commonwealth troops.

Lt Col James Shaw, who has been responsible for designing the ceremony said: “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?

“Practice has been relatively straightforward. The French look great and we’re in a really good place for Monday.

British and French troops during the parade at Buckingham Palace (Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

“We’re super excited for this historic moment.”

Many onlookers watched the moment as the French Gendarmerie were marched on and off the palace forecourt by the Band of the Grenadier Guards. Meanwhile, both countries’ national anthems were played as a “symbol of the strength of the relationship between” the two countries.

The ceremony follows a similar guard change attended by President Emmanuel Macron in Paris earlier in the day.

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