They are the most recognisable soldiers in the UK, if not the world. The public face of royal ceremony, resplendent in bearskins and scarlet tunics, they stand guard outside Britain's royal residences, most famously Buckingham Palace. But the Grenadier Guards are also the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army and they are also one of the oldest, celebrating their 350th anniversary last year.
To mark this milestone, Guarding the Queen will provide a rare behind the scenes insight into their journey from rookie recruits to carrying out important duties outside Buckingham Palace and on the front line.
Between December 2006 to June 2007 cameras have exclusively followed the Nijmegen Company who form a key part of the Household Division of the Grenadier Guards. Their job at Wellington Barracks in London includes guarding both the Queen, and the Crown Jewels at The Tower of London. It is the first time the Grenadiers have been filmed in ten years.
In the first of this three-part series, the Queen celebrates the 350th anniversary of the Grenadiers with a party at Windsor Castle. For commanding officer Colonel Carew Hatherley it's a very proud moment.
"We're carrying on 350 years of serving the monarchy - that's ten kings and three queens. It's part of the living history of Great Britain," he says.
But not all the guards are enjoying the party. Up in the Scottish highlands Captain Ollie Doherty is leading a group of trainee guardsmen on their final exercise in battlefield discipline - the climax of months of hard training. Of the 13 Grenadiers that started the course only four remain.
One of the four is Steven Cooper, and the programme cameras follow him on his passing out parade at the guards' training depot in Catterick in Yorkshire -- and see how he settles into life at Wellington Barracks in London before taking part in his first guard change outside Buckingham Palace.
after reading issue 31 of the grenadier gazette i saw an article about the tv programme guarding the queem by the picture in it it looked as though it had been put into dvd form and i wondered if it was available to buy as my son lsgt adam ball is in queens company grenadier guards so naturally we watch everything there is about the guards thank you
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