King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
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The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery is a ceremonial unit of the British Army. It was named The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery in 1947 when King George VI decided that, following the mechanisation of the last batteries of horse drawn artillery, a troop of horse artillery should be kept to take part in the great ceremonies of state. So, he declared that the Riding Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery would be known as 'His Troop' or 'The King's Troop'. The King enacted his procamation by amending the page on the visitors book of the Troop in manuscript, striking out the word "Troop" and inserting "King's". On her accession, Queen Elizabeth II declared that the name 'King's Troop' would remain in honour of her father.
The King's Troop forms part of the Household Troops and, when on parade with its guns, takes precedence over all other regiments in the regular forces of the British Army. Although the King's Troop is primarily a ceremonial unit, with responsibility for firing gun salutes on state occasions, it has an operational role as part of the territorial defence of the United Kingdom. The unit is most often seen providing gun salutes on state occasions in Hyde Park, but they also mount the Queen's Life Guard at Horse Guards when the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment go away for their summer training.
The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery performed the Musical Drive at every Royal Tournament from its formation in 1947 to the final Royal Tournament on 2 August 1999. The Musical Drive can be seen at shows around the country and always at teh Royal Windsor Hose Show in May every year.
Together with the Household Division they appear every June at Trooping the Colour, on Horse Guards Parade to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday. Along with all guns of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, their guns are their colours and are acknowledged by the Queen and all on parade as such. After the ceremony, the King's Troop repairs to Green Park, adjacent to Buckingham Palace, firing a 41-gun salute, which is a 21-gun salute with an additional 20 rounds fired because the gun position is in a Royal Park.
