The Royal Guards the Main Guard at the Stockholm Palace is carried out by units of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is the King of Sweden's guard of honour

Guard of honour

A guard of honour is a ceremonial event practice in military and sports as a mark of respect.-Military:In the military a guard of honour is a ceremonial practice to honour visiting foreign dignitaries, or the fallen in war, or a ceremony for public figures who have died.The commander is three paces...

 and is responsible for the protection of the Royal Family. The Royal Guard is normally divided in two parts, the main guard stationed at the Royal Palace in Stockholm, and a smaller detachment at Drottningholm Palace

Drottningholm Palace

The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. It is built on the island Lovön , and is one of Sweden's Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century. It served as a residence of the Swedish royal court for most of...

. The Royal Guard traces its history back to the early 16th Century, and the unit has continuously guarded the Royal Palace in Stockholm since 1523.

The duty of forming a "Royal Guard" is bestowed upon all serving regiments and occasionally on other detachments of the National Forces (like the Home Guard

Swedish Home Guard

The Swedish Home Guard is a part of the Swedish Armed Forces. The Home Guard consists of local defence units under the leadership of the armed forces, as well as 23 national auxiliary defence organizations.-History:...

). However, these detachments only serve for about 5-7 days in each rotation, so the main part of the year, the Royal Guard duty is being performed by the Lifeguards, with traditions and roots from the old Household Brigade and Svea Lifeguards.

Between April and August, the mounted squadrons of Livgardet can be seen in Stockholm and around the Royal Palace. Accompanied by the mounted band, they depart from the Cavalry barracks in Gärdet

Gärdet

Gärdet is a part of Stockholm east and northeast of Östermalm. Its official name is Ladugårdsgärdet. It is renowned for its large number of modernist apartments...

and arrive at the Palace around noon (1 pm on Sundays and public holidays) for the changing of the guards ceremony. These events attracts large numbers of tourists each summer.