The Guard of honour
Hello, I'm a guard of honour. You may have seen me in my uniform outside the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg. There are always two sentries in front of the Palace, whatever the weather. We are responsible for defending the Palace if it is attacked.
The Grand Ducal Palace guards are soldiers in the Luxembourg army. They are called "guards of honour" because they are responsible for guarding certain public monuments, such as the Palace, or for paying the honours at official ceremonies, such as the National Day celebrations.
It is a prestigious position, reserved for soldiers who are selected for their skills and qualities. They are armed. They have to be able to stand still for hours at a time, even if it's raining or snowing, and be ready to defend the building if anything goes wrong.
At certain times of the day, you can watch the changing of the guard, which always takes place in the same way: the new guard arrives at a walk and stands in front of the guard who has finished his shift. They salute each other and swap places. The guard who has finished his shift then returns to his barracks while the new guard takes his place.
