A regiment which has the honour of guarding the Queen for the first time in its history got in step during a dress rehearsal for families at Azimghur Barracks in Colerne.

The 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support), which is based at Colerne, leaves for London on Monday to take up duties that include guarding the front gates of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St James’ Palace and the Tower of London, wearing their ceremonial dress blues.

The regiment demonstrated its changing of the guard duties to a crowd of supportive families and friends on Tuesday.

The duties are normally carried out by the Guards Division but when its units are on operational duties other regiments step in.

Signaller James Parrish, 19, from Westbury, is part of the Territorial Army and is proud to be one of the few TA servicemen who get the opportunity to carry out royal duties.

“I am really lucky because not many people from the TA have ever done this because we are the only TA that is connected to a signals regiment.

“I will be standing guard outside the palace for two hours at a time each day,” he said.

“We have been carrying out some gruelling training to prepare us for the drills we will be carrying out and the standing still for long spaces of time.”