New timings for Changing of Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace
LONDON: The historic and colourful Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London will change its timings as part of security measures following the Berlin terror attack, the palace said.
Previously there have only been some traffic restrictions while the ceremony takes place.
London's Metropolitan Police announced last month it was boosting security measures at the parade, including the closure of roads in front of the palace during the Changing of the Guard, following the Berlin truck attack that killed 12 people at a Christmas market.
Those measures have now been adopted full-time.
In addition, from Jan 16, the much-loved attraction in central London will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays each week and has been brought forward by half an hour to 11am local time.
The ceremony traditionally took place on alternate days, meaning it was performed on different days from one week to the next. In the main tourist season from March to August, the ceremony will take place every day as normal.
The closures had already been planned for a three-month trial period but police brought them forward after the attack in the German capital on Dec 19.
The current threat level set by Britain's security services has been at "severe", meaning an attack is "highly likely", since 2014. - AFP
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