The annual Trooping the Colour ceremony occurs in June at Horse Guards Parade – and while you can watch it on the telly or parts of it from The Mall, it is much more fun to have a seat within the Horseguards Parade itself.
The seating, which most people presume to be for VIP guests and their ilk are actually open to the public via a ballot which is held next month.
Photo Credit Wikipedia
To enter the ballot to qualify for tickets, you have to send a quick note as to how many tickets (up to 3) you want, along with a stamped addressed envelope and your name will go into the draw.
Your request must arrive by this Friday (26th Feb), so time to nick a couple of envelopes and stamps from the office stationary cupboard visit the local stationers to buy some stamps and envelopes.
Send your application to:
Brigade Major
HQ Household Division
Horse Guards
Whitehall
London SW1A 2AX.
You MUST include that stamped addressed envelope.
IMPORTANT: If you found this page via Google, applications are only allowed in January and February of each year. Do not send applications at any other time of the year.
If selected in the ballot, you will be asked to pay around £25 per ticket, and can request up to 3 tickets. There also a couple of “Tesco Value” options for the rehearsals that take place a few weeks before the main event – details will be included in the reply.
Hi Ian
Would you mind telling me what I’m supposed to write in the ‘application’ letter if I want to go into the ballot for Trooping the Colour? Obviously name, address and number of tickets required but other than that do I just state that I would like to be entered into the ballot?
Thanks very much in advance,
Anna
That’s all you have to state – just your details and request to go in the ballot.
please can you give me the 2013 date for trooping the colour. thank-you. p. blair
I just want the date – no tickets
can yo tell me if children are allowed to have tickets ,my daughte will almost 10 years of age and would so love to watch it live
You need to ask the organisers.
I took my grand-daughter last year to the first rehearsal (Major General’s Review – it’s free but you must have tickets). She was just 4 & loved it.
Be aware that you have to arrive in plenty of time as you have to go through security. There are long queues for the toilets – 3 on one side, 4 on the other so find your seat & queue early if you have a weak bladder as they close once the ceremony starts.
You can apply for this rehearsal & the second one, the Colonel’s review the next week the same time as you apply for the main event.
If you are successful how much are the tickets likely to be?
That information is in the blog post above.
How do I obtain English postage here in the United States for
the self addressed and stamped envelope to be mailed from
England?
You probably need to ask someone based in the USA for advice about buying things over there.
Do these tickets ever get resold? We missed the timing to send in a request, but my son really wants to see this ceremony. We’re coming to London as his high school graduation present and can’t be there for the earlier rehearsals.
I would be very surprised if people were allowed to resell these tickets – if nothing else, for security reasons due to the significant amount of VIPs in the area.