0:00:02 > 0:00:04The British Army. To an outsider,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07it looks like one single fighting force.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09In reality,
0:00:09 > 0:00:13it's divided into more than 40 independent regiments...
0:00:14 > 0:00:16..each with its own culture and traditions.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19And if you want to understand the British Army,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23these regiments are the best place to start.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28In this programme,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31we meet one of the oldest regiments in the British Army.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37There will be more than two billion people watching this.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41There is absolutely no scope for any sort of cock-up.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Their ceremonial uniform is famous around the world.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48I was taught in training that if it's uncomfortable,
0:00:48 > 0:00:52you're doing it right cos nothing's comfortable in the army.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58But first and foremost, they're a unit of fighting soldiers.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I'm fighting the Officer, so it shouldn't be too hard.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03He's used to drinking Pimms, so I'll knock him out.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09A regiment's history is what you fight for.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12If you look at what the regiment has achieved since its birth,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14it's been involved in everything.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20This is a regiment that was formed to fight against the monarchy.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Now, it's a bodyguard to the Queen.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26The Coldstream Guards.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Right, halt!
0:01:40 > 0:01:43The Coldstream Guards are famous for their redcoats,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46bearskins and shiny boots.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Looking this good takes a lot of beeswax.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52The beeswax is absorbed into the leather
0:01:52 > 0:01:55then, it just hardens, makes the boots solid.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57So, then, it'll hold the polish.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Makes it uncomfortable, but without the wax,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02you won't get the same effect, you won't get the shine.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Boots that have been worn a few times,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08you're looking at hours and hours of work,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10if not maybe days of work, gone into them.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It is something you get quite proud over.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21And it isn't just the boots that require a lot of attention.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23I'm washing my bearskin.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25I'm working the shampoo in.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27It's like washing any normal sort of hair, really.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30I'm not used to washing long hair,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34but I probably wash it every month, if not, probably a bit more often,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37just to keep it looking nicer.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Let it dry upside down.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Your bearskin will dry and that's done.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48MARCHING MUSIC
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The Coldstream Guards are one of five regiments
0:02:58 > 0:03:01that serve as ceremonial Foot Guards to the Queen.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07The Changing of the Guard has become famous around the world.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11It's so surreal marching down the streets,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14and all the tourists there watching you.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16You're just thinking,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18"I've seen people do this so many times,
0:03:18 > 0:03:19"I never imagined it would be me".
0:03:19 > 0:03:23And I was so nervous the first time I did it, as well.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30As one of the junior officers,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Lieutenant Scarlett is responsible for carrying the Regimental Colours.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38'Historically, colours were used on the battlefield
0:03:38 > 0:03:41'to show where certain units of men were.'
0:03:41 > 0:03:43You know, I mean, I'm a small man,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47the colour pike is probably at least a third bigger than me.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49So, I'm walking down the streets of London
0:03:49 > 0:03:52holding something which is pretty massive for a small man like me,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56trying to move it around and not fall over and not look like an idiot.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Every soldier in the Coldstream Guards
0:04:03 > 0:04:05will spend at least six months
0:04:05 > 0:04:07with the regiment's ceremonial company in London.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Left, right, left, right. Left, right, left, right.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Most of their time is spent in the Light Infantry Battalion, in Aldershot.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Up, up, down, down!
0:04:24 > 0:04:28The regiment is made up of over 800 men,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30led by 77 officers.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Down, up!
0:04:35 > 0:04:39In 2010, the Coldstream Guards were deployed
0:04:39 > 0:04:42to a volatile area of Helmand, in Afghanistan.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- Make sure you move into position. There's a- BLEEP- sniper round here.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49They saw regular action against the Taliban
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and suffered five fatalities.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54They're peeling, they're peeling!
0:04:54 > 0:04:58The Coldstreamers were awarded four Military Crosses for bravery,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02more than any other regiment on their tour of duty.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03Come on, fellas!
0:05:03 > 0:05:07This was the latest honour for a regiment whose roots and traditions
0:05:07 > 0:05:10reach back over 350 years.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Run fast!
0:05:12 > 0:05:14GUNFIRE
0:05:17 > 0:05:21The Coldstream Guards were born out of the English Civil War.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23In 1649,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26King Charles I was executed.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Oliver Cromwell soon took control of the country.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33But his rule was fragile.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36The Royalist cause still had strong support,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39especially in Scotland.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42In 1650, Cromwell created a new regiment,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45to challenge Royalist forces north of the border.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51The regiment was based in the northernmost town in England,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Berwick-upon-Tweed.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57In those days, there wasn't a barracks.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01They had to billet in houses around the community,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03perhaps camp outside the walls,
0:06:03 > 0:06:08and they were also asked to build a new church for the community,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12the church of which I'm now very proud to be vicar.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14As well as being a vicar,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Alan Hughes is also a veteran of the Coldstream Guards.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22There's an old saying that,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26"Once a Coldstreamer, always a Coldstreamer",
0:06:26 > 0:06:30and it's almost 50 years since I joined the regiment,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33but I'm wearing Coldstream cufflinks,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I'm wearing a Brigade of Guards pocket handkerchief
0:06:36 > 0:06:38left by an old General friend I buried.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40It's a little like having a stick of rock
0:06:40 > 0:06:43with something running all the way through, being a Coldstreamer.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45It rather runs through you.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49The regiment's first Commanding Officer
0:06:49 > 0:06:51was General George Monck.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Monck had been imprisoned
0:06:54 > 0:06:57for fighting on the side of the Royalists during the Civil War.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01While in the Tower of London,
0:07:01 > 0:07:06he wrote a book on military strategy that impressed Cromwell.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10He was released, on condition that he switch allegiance to Cromwell
0:07:10 > 0:07:13and his parliamentarian cause.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17This is General George Monck, who was a bit of a hero of his time.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19He was a bit of a colossal man,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22rather tall, rather plump for his time,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and had a farming background, but a fantastic soldier.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29There's been a hundred books written about famous Generals
0:07:29 > 0:07:32and General Monck is the first one that people write about.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Monck's regiment became part of the first professional fighting force
0:07:37 > 0:07:39in British history -
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Cromwell's New Model Army.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Known as Monck's Regiment of Foot,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48the new force saw action within two weeks of its formation.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51In September 1650,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55it fought alongside Cromwell himself at the Battle of Dunbar,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57where they routed a Royalist army.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01Over the next decade,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Monck's regiment continued the campaign
0:08:03 > 0:08:06against Royalist forces in Scotland.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11Monck was becoming one of the most powerful men in the country.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15When Oliver Cromwell died in 1658,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19rival army factions started vying for power.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26The country was sliding back towards civil war.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Monck was determined to restore order.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33In January 1660,
0:08:33 > 0:08:38he set off for London with 6,000 soldiers.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The march began in the village of Coldstream.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46I'm standing, now, on the northern bank of the River Tweed,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48in Coldstream, in the Scottish Borders.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53And I'm standing beside a crossing point, a ford.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55No bridge in the time of the regiment.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59And what we're told is that in that January,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03they set off into these icy waters and headed south.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Amazing men. So tough.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15In January 2010, a company of Coldstream Guards
0:09:15 > 0:09:18celebrated the 350th anniversary
0:09:18 > 0:09:23of Monck's long march, by retracing the 425 mile route.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26'It took us 26 days.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29'Extremely hard work on the men.'
0:09:29 > 0:09:33That kind of road mileage pounds away on knees and ankles
0:09:33 > 0:09:35and the soles of the boots themselves.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37So, we went through a few pairs of boots
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and of course, some pretty impressive blisters.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45'Monck's weather and our weather were extremely similar.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49'There's a document that says that Monck didn't see bare earth
0:09:49 > 0:09:51'between Berwick and London.'
0:09:51 > 0:09:53So, we started in the snow, horrific snow.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57We finished with a light drizzling of snow, so that was quite nice.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02As Monck travelled south,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05he was able to gauge the mood of the country.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Parliament was seen as ineffective and out of touch.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14When he arrived in London with his force of 6,000 men,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16he delivered a warning to the House of Commons.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20"As I marched from Scotland hither,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23"I observed the people in most counties.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27"The chiefest of their desires were for a full and free parliament".
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Monck finished with a threat.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33"If any different counsels should be taken,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37"these nations would be thrown back into force and violence."
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Within a month, parliament was dissolved.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Elections followed.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44One of the first acts of the new parliament
0:10:44 > 0:10:47was the restoration of the monarchy.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Cromwell's New Model Army was disbanded,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56but Monck's Regiment of Foot was spared.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59On the 14th of February 1661,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03the regiment assembled at Tower Hill.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07They ceremonially laid down their arms as Republican soldiers,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and raised them again as soldiers of the King.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14They've served the monarchy ever since.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16General Monck was given the Garter Star,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20which is the highest award you can give to any military or civilian.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23We wear it on our regimental head dress every day.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24So, it's a very proud thing to wear.
0:11:24 > 0:11:31When General Monck died in 1670, Monck's Regiment of Foot was renamed
0:11:31 > 0:11:34the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37in honour of the march that helped restore the monarchy.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Monck's chaplain, Thomas Gumble, recorded the occasion.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43"The town of Coldstream,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45"because the General did it the honour
0:11:45 > 0:11:49"to make it the place of his residence for some time,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53"hath given title to a small company of men,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56"whom God hath made instruments of great things."
0:11:59 > 0:12:00A regiment's history,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03be it the Coldstream Guards or any other, is what you fight for.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06You fight knowing that your regiment hasn't failed before you.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08So, you almost put yourself under pressure
0:12:08 > 0:12:11knowing that the regiment has a proud history
0:12:11 > 0:12:13and you have to live up to those expectations.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15BELL CHIMES
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Number 16!
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Number 23, half companies.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25April the 27th, 2011.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Two days to go before the Royal Wedding.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31'This morning, we're doing early morning rehearsal.'
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Everybody's been up and about since about half past two,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37for briefing at four o'clock, and then, on the road at five.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40The reason it's early morning is cos the roads are quiet.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44We have the place to ourselves without causing too much disruption.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's our one opportunity to run through it
0:12:46 > 0:12:49with everybody who's going to be on parade taking part.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55The Coldstream Guards will be one of the regiments lining the route
0:12:55 > 0:12:57of the Royal Procession along the Mall.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Front rank, halt!
0:13:02 > 0:13:07Seven paces extend. Quick march!
0:13:11 > 0:13:14OK, if you're in the wrong place, don't worry about it.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16We've got overlap with the Welsh Guards.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Let the Major sort it out.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21'Ceremonial drill harks back to the days when we fought on foot
0:13:21 > 0:13:23'in lines and squares.'
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Of course, it doesn't have any particular point in battles now.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29We'd, I suspect, be equally good soldiers
0:13:29 > 0:13:32if we didn't polish our boots to a high sheen and march smartly.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35But that is the way in which we demonstrate outwardly
0:13:35 > 0:13:38the pride we have in the job that we do and in the monarch that we serve.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42There is no finer or sterner critic than Her Majesty
0:13:42 > 0:13:44when it comes to ceremonial drill
0:13:44 > 0:13:48and we don't want to be found wanting alongside the other regiments.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Number 8 half company!
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Royal salute!
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Present Arms!
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- Get in the- BLEEP- building!
0:14:03 > 0:14:05GUNFIRE
0:14:08 > 0:14:12The Coldstream Guards are on a training exercise in France.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Their mission - to take control of a small town
0:14:15 > 0:14:17that's been overrun by insurgents.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21- They're in the building. - How many's left?- BLEEP- loads.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28They're on a joint exercise with a French infantry company
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and their armoured support.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32The French have just gone over.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35GUNFIRE
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It's part of a new defence co-operation agreement
0:14:38 > 0:14:40signed by the two countries in 2010.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43It even extends to the sharing of ration packs.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46There's some things that are better in the French,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49and some things that are better in the British.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53The way we've been able to co-ordinate working with the French is excellent.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55The French platoon commander came in.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58He said, "What do you want from us? This is what we can give you",
0:14:58 > 0:14:59and it worked.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01There is a language barrier, of course.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I have to say the French speak English better than we speak French,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06which is to our shame.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09But we're talking about fundamental skills that are the same
0:15:09 > 0:15:11whether you're a French or British soldier,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15so there's a level of understanding about how we need to do business.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21The Coldstream Guards' relationship with the French
0:15:21 > 0:15:23hasn't always been so collaborative.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26One of the regiment's defining moments
0:15:26 > 0:15:28was at the Battle of Waterloo.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33It was to be the climax of over 20 years of conflict in Europe.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39On the 18th of June, 1815,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42British forces lined up alongside their European allies,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45under the command of the Duke of Wellington.
0:15:45 > 0:15:51Across the battlefield was Napoleon's Imperial Army.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54The future of Europe hung in the balance.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00The Coldstream Guards were given a vital role -
0:16:00 > 0:16:02to defend the Chateau of Hougoumont,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05on the Western flank of the battlefield.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06If it were to fall,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Wellington's right flank would be dangerously exposed.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15The battle of Waterloo began with a French assault on Hougoumont,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18at about 11.30am.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21From this moment, the chateau would be under constant attack.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Today, some of the Coldstreamers
0:16:26 > 0:16:29have come to the scene of the battle.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32So, this would be, I suppose, the first view
0:16:32 > 0:16:35that the French would've had of the chateau.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Wellington committed 3,500 troops to hold Hougoumont.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43Over the course of the day,
0:16:43 > 0:16:48they would be attacked by 14,000 Frenchmen.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Much of the fighting took place in the orchard to the east
0:16:54 > 0:16:56and in the woods to the south.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57In the courtyard,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01the Coldstream Guards were the last line of defence.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09The British knocked holes through the garden walls,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12so they could fire at the enemy.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17They repelled wave after wave of French attacks.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Soon after midday,
0:17:22 > 0:17:27a group of French infantry launched a surprise attack at the North Gate.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30The French Lieutenant Legros,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32The Enforcer as he was known - huge man,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36comes at the gates with an axe and hacks his way through
0:17:36 > 0:17:41the wooden bar securing the gate and breaks in with 40-odd Frenchmen.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Panic in the courtyard here and for a few minutes,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48everything looks pretty awful - the French have got the courtyard.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50That's when it could go horribly wrong.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Aware that the whole battle could be lost
0:17:55 > 0:17:57if Hougoumont fell to the French,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59the Coldstream Guards' Commanding Officer,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Lieutenant Colonel James Macdonnell, charged to the gates.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Private Matthew Clay was in the courtyard.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10"I saw Macdonnell carrying a large piece of wood,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12"or trunk of a tree in his arms
0:18:12 > 0:18:14"with which he was hastening to secure the gates
0:18:14 > 0:18:17"against the renewed attack of the enemy."
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Macdonnell forced the gates shut against the enemy.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25The Coldstreamers now turned on the French soldiers,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28who'd fought their way into the courtyard.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39It came down to man on man.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43The sort of fighting that we will, hopefully, never experience.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47We're talking cold steel, rifle butts, all very close in.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48You know, in Afghanistan,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51you never see the enemy, do you? 300 yards away,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53if you're lucky. Whereas here,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56it's hand to hand fighting and it's nothing but.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59All the French who got in here were slaughtered.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02The only Frenchman that was spared was the drummer boy
0:19:02 > 0:19:04who was 11 or 12 years old.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08The French assault on the chateau continued.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12But the Coldstream Guards held their position
0:19:12 > 0:19:14until Napoleon was defeated.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20Defending Hougoumont cost Wellington 1,500 men.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23The French lost up to 5,000.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27The Duke of Wellington later said that,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29"The success of the Battle of Waterloo
0:19:29 > 0:19:31"turned on the closing of the gates at Hougoumont."
0:19:31 > 0:19:35And he described Lieutenant Colonel Macdonnell as,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38"The bravest man at Waterloo".
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Those soldiers -
0:19:39 > 0:19:41how can you describe them?
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Probably some of the bravest people you'd ever meet.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45The bravery shown by these men,
0:19:45 > 0:19:50must have... Not must have, WAS second to none.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Hougoumont - it's impossible to describe
0:19:53 > 0:19:55just how important it is to us.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00It's funny. Here we are 300 yards from a motorway,
0:20:00 > 0:20:01you can hear the traffic,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and yet, this is what made our regiment's name.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14At the Coldstream Guards' barracks in Aldershot,
0:20:14 > 0:20:19the regiment's success at Hougoumont is still commemorated every year.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22The celebrations feature a brick
0:20:22 > 0:20:25that was brought home from the site of the battle.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Here is the original brick from Hougoumont Farm
0:20:28 > 0:20:31which is hung above the bar in December for one day of the year
0:20:31 > 0:20:33and anybody who touches that brick
0:20:33 > 0:20:37is then required to provide the beverage for the rest of that day.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39SHOUTING
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Often, the junior officers shy away from being invited to touch it,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48so it's usually them being crowd-surfed towards the bar.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Then, whatever means possible for them to touch it,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54which is usually headfirst, unfortunately for them.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57CHEERING
0:21:00 > 0:21:02In the Sergeants' Mess,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06the record of the regiment's history comes right up to date.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08In terms of modern history,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12this is a piece we brought back from Afghanistan last year.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15So, this was taken from Taliban insurgents.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18They tried to make their escape good on this motorcycle,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22when they were arrested. We managed to keep hold of it
0:21:22 > 0:21:25and it's on proud display in the Sergeants' Mess.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27It doesn't work. It would be dangerous for it to work
0:21:27 > 0:21:31because mixing this motorcycle with happy hours on a Friday afternoon
0:21:31 > 0:21:34would cause lots and lots of trouble for me.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36So, it doesn't work at all.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45The battalion returned from Afghanistan in May last year,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47and unfortunately, we had five fatalities,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50one of whom was a Sergeant's Mess Member, John Amer.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59We've got a nice sketch drawing of him there.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Clearly of him in action, also, and unfortunately, of his funeral.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07And we often remember Sergeant Christopher Hickey - Tricky,
0:22:07 > 0:22:13who was killed in action in Iraq on the 18th of October in 2005,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15on his last patrol of that tour
0:22:15 > 0:22:19just prior to when he was due to fly back to the UK.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25When a soldier is killed in the battalion, it really hits hard.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26Whilst we're away on operations,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30there is a small amount of time to bereave,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32but you've got to move on really quickly
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and get on with the job in hand.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39The time to really remember and bereave is on the return to the UK.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42It's particularly hard because these people are not just colleagues,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46these people have been friends, and more than friends, for many years
0:22:46 > 0:22:51and my family and everybody else's family interacts on a regular basis.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55It's much more personal than just being colleagues, it's actually...
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The Coldstream Guards is a real family.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03DRUMMING
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Tonight, the Coldstreamers have gathered
0:23:07 > 0:23:09for an inter-company boxing tournament.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Seconds out. First round!
0:23:13 > 0:23:16CHEERING AND SHOUTING
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Guardsman Billy Robinson, wearing blue,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25served in Afghanistan last year.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28He was injured when a roadside bomb exploded
0:23:28 > 0:23:30within metres of where he was standing.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32His friend was killed.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I enjoy the sport. Especially after Afghan, we had a hard time out there.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41It's one of them sports that gets you team building again.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44'Even though you hit each other and train with each other,'
0:23:44 > 0:23:46you've still got that bond.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50The referee would like to congratulate both boxers.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53By majority decision, red is the winner!
0:23:53 > 0:23:58CHEERING
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Guardsman Robinson has been beaten by an Officer.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02To the left.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05But the junior ranks have another chance,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08with Lance Sergeant Anthony Bull.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10I'm fighting the Officer's Mess.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11He's used to drinking Pimms,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13so I'm just going to knock him out, hopefully.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22CROWD CALL OUT
0:24:22 > 0:24:26'Boxing's almost like the epitome of everything that a soldier should be.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28'It takes a lot of courage to get into the ring,'
0:24:28 > 0:24:32to stand against your opponent in front of you and fight the guy.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36'It's everything that a solider needs to be is embodied in this sport.'
0:24:37 > 0:24:38BELL RINGS
0:24:38 > 0:24:41APPLAUSE
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Blue!
0:24:47 > 0:24:51It's the Officers' night. Lance Sergeant Bull has also lost.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55I hadn't seen two Officers fight in the third division before.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57I think that shows great character.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Well done to both of you for winning.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05LAUGHTER DROWNS SPEECH
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It shows the character of the battalion - that's fantastic.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12So, well done the boxers.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Put that on first, don't worry about that other thing.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24It's the day of the Royal Wedding.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Last-minute preparations are underway.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34What'll happen now is I'll get my mate to brush me down,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38so I've got no white fluff or anything on me.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44Guardsman Tom Carlin has recently completed basic army training.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Today, will be the first time he's performed ceremonial duties.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52This is the first big thing, we got here two weeks ago.
0:25:52 > 0:25:58From passing off at Catterick to a Royal wedding.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Quite proud to be part of it, to be fair.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04All in all, I was doing these for maybe an hour,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07hour and a half, day before yesterday.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08As you can see,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11my left foot's quite tight, so I can't even wear a sock,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13that's why I've bandaged it.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Double check my tweeds are the right length.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Probably a little bit of adjustment.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25When you stand at attention, this one sits on the second lace.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26That's good.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Starting to get a little bit nervous as all the kit's going on.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Starting to get a little bit warmer.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Hot. Sweaty.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39I was always taught in training that if it's uncomfortable,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42you're doing it right - nothing's comfortable in the army.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45THEY PERFORM ROLL CALL
0:26:55 > 0:26:59There will be more than two billion people
0:26:59 > 0:27:02watching this on television around the world.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07There is absolutely no scope for mistakes,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11loss of concentration, any sort of cock-up.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13And we will be smarter
0:27:13 > 0:27:16than any other formed body of men out there today.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34For 360 years,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38the Coldstream Guards have been at the heart of British life.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Today, they're on parade at a Royal ceremony,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44watched across the world.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53CHEERING
0:27:58 > 0:27:59For the soldiers,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11For the regiment, it's one more day in a long and eventful history.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16'We are a very small part of a rather large beast.'
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Nobody is bigger than the regiment we serve.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20It does us well to remember that from time to time.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25'I feel part of something that has been going on for a long time'
0:28:25 > 0:28:26before I came along,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29and hopefully, will be going on for an awfully long time after I've left and died.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:53 > 0:28:55E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk