Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace in Stockholm

While the current palace was under construction between 1697 and 1754, the Royal Guard was stationed at the Wrangel Palace on Riddarholmen, where the Royal Family then resided.

ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR FIRE DEFENCE

Until the mid-19th century, the Royal Guard consisted of 100 to 200 men from the guard regiments, who were also responsible for the city’s fire defence and for maintaining public order. When a police force was later established, the guard could be reduced to between 30 and 50 men. Today, the Royal Guard at the Royal Palace consists of about 35 soldiers.

MANNED BY UNITS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY

From the mid-19th century, other units from the Stockholm garrison also began serving in the Royal Guard. Gradually, the selection was broadened, and by the 1960s it included all categories of conscripts from the roughly forty different units across the country at that time. Nowadays, the Royal Guard is manned by soldiers from units all over Sweden.