Royal Tournament
Encyclopedia
The Royal Tournament was the World's largest military tattoo
and pageant, held by the British Armed Forces
annually between 1880 and 1999. The venue was originally the Royal Agricultural Hall and latterly the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
. In its later years it also acted as a fundraising event for leading forces charities, such as The Royal British Legion
.
from 21 to 26 June 1880. The Tournament was effectively a series of competitions contested by the officers and men of the regular and auxiliary units of the British Army
. Although crowds didn’t flock to the Tournament in the first year, it was held again in 1881 and subsequent years.
More events to please audiences were added, including music from military bands, re-enactments, Musical Rides by the Cavalry and Musical Drives by the Artillery. Crowds began to flock to performances at the Agricultural hall; during the early 1900s the show outgrew its home and moved to the west London venue of Olympia
. The Royal Navy
and the Royal Air Force
also participated. The show was renamed a number of times until it finally became the Royal Tournament.
in 1950. With the exception of the war years, the Tournament was staged every summer from 1880 to 1999. The Royal Tournament had entered the history books as the First, Oldest and Biggest Military Tattoo
in the World. Towards the end ticket sales were insufficient to cover costs; the 1998 Royal Tournament made a loss. On Monday 2 August 1999 the Royal Tournament closed for the final time to reduce military costs, following the 1998 Strategic Defence Review
.
Other military events such as Trooping the Colour
, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
, the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo
and Royal International Air Tattoo
remain an active part of British military pageantry as of 2009, together with the various events organized by the Armed Forces and its three branches.
announced that a new event, to be called the British Military Tournament, would be held over the weekend of 4–5 December 2010, bringing together the "best elements of the Royal Tournament", including the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
's Musical Drive, and the Royal Navy Field gun competition
. The two themes of the event as announced were the 350th anniversary of the Household Cavalry
, and the 150th anniversary of both the Army Physical Training Corps
and the cadet movement. Initially, the event will feature the Army, with no Royal Navy or RAF presence (beyond the old staples such as the Field Gun competition) but, according to reports in the press, it will become an annual fixture, suggesting that it may revive the old Royal Tournament practice of each service "hosting" the event for a year.
The Royal Tournament 1970 was shown on BBC1 on Saturday 25 July and was billed as a second visit to Earl's Court for that year's spectacular and featured
The Musical Drive by The Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery
The White Helmets display by the Royal Signals Motor Cycle Team
Continuity Drill by The Queen's Colour Squadron of The Royal Air Force
Massed Band and Bugles of the Light Division
The Royal Corps of Signals in the Bandstand
with commentator Geoffrey Wheeler
There was a special article in The Radio Times that week on "The White Helmets" - mentioning Sgt George Garside and Signalman Mick Hanson.
The Royal Tournament 1972 was shown on BBC1 on Sunday 16 July and featured
The Musical Drive by The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
,
The Field Gun Competition by The Royal Navy
,
National Dances by the Singapore Armed Forces,
Commando Assault Course by The Royal Marines
42 Commando
,
Continuity Drill by The Queen's Colour Squadron,
Royal Air Force
in the Bandstand,
The Staff Band of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers,
with commentator Michael Charlton.
The Royal Tournament 1974 was shown on BBC1 on Saturday 13 July and featured
The Musical Drive by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery
The Field Gun Competition by The Royal Navy
,
Continuity Drill by the RAF Queen's Colour Squadron
National Dancing and Music by the Sri Lanka Police Reserve
Massed Bands of the Royal Marines
The Band of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in the Bandstand
with commentator Tom Fleming
Whilst using many of the military assets of the former Royal Tournament (which ended in 1999) the British Military Tournament is a completely new show. The name British Military Tournament derives from the original title of the former Royal Tournament: The Grand Military Tournament. The title Royal Tournament was withheld by the Ministry of Defence because in 2010 the show involved only the British Army whereas the Royal Tournament was a tri-service event.
The principle point of difference with the former Royal Tournament is that the British Military Tournament is produced for The Soldiers' Charity by IMG entirely independently of the Ministry of Defence, whereas the old Royal Tournament was produced by the Ministry of Defence, which provided the infrastructure and took all the financial risk.
There are other significant differences between the two shows.
First, the British Military Tournament has a strong narrative line and "tells a story", using military assets and audio visual effects with contributions by leading UK actors, to illustrate that story; whereas the old Royal Tournament was a variety show in which military units performed their standard acts within a loose theme. In 2010, the story line of the British Military Tournament was the history of the British Army from the English Civil War to Afghanistan today. Units involved included the Household Cavalry, The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, The Company of Pikemen & Musketeers and the Light Cavalry of the Honourable Artillery Company, the massed bands of the Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards, The Rifles and the Brigade of Gurkhas plus the Pipes and Drums of the London Scottiush Regiment. Although the Royal Navy is no longer able to perform the famous Command Field Gun Race, throughout the show the Field Gun competition was run by competinmg crews from Wellington College using reduced scale guns and limbers but full scale rigging and obstacles. In 2011 the story line is based around the "special relationship" between the United Kingdom and the United States of America from the American War of Independence through to the present day; in addition to units from the British Army the show will includes US Army units and American actors. The British Military Tournament's writer & director, Christopher Joll, intends that the story line will change with each succeeding year.
The second significant difference with the old Royal Tournament is that the show does not feature each of the UK's armed services in rotation. In 2010 only the British Army decided to participate. The other two services may provide assets in future years.
Finally, because of the limited availability of service units the British Military Tournament is staged over only three days by contrast with the Royal Tournament which was initially three weeks in duration and later two weeks.
The British Military Tournament was conceived by writer-director Christopher Joll, who had previously devised, written & directed the Household Cavalry Pageant (2006) and the Chelsea Pageant (2008), Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter KCVO OBE DL, Chief Executive of ABF The Soldiers' Charity and the last chairman of the Royal Tournament, and Stephen Flint-Wood, head of Arts & Entertainment at IMG (UK).
Military tattoo
The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance, but nowadays it sometimes means army displays more generally.It dates from the 17th century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries...
and pageant, held by the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
annually between 1880 and 1999. The venue was originally the Royal Agricultural Hall and latterly the Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
. In its later years it also acted as a fundraising event for leading forces charities, such as The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion
The Royal British Legion , sometimes referred to as simply The Legion, is the United Kingdom's leading charity providing financial, social and emotional support to those who have served or who are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants.-History:The British Legion was...
.
History
The Grand Military Tournament and Assault at Arms was held at the former Royal Agricultural Hall, in IslingtonIslington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
from 21 to 26 June 1880. The Tournament was effectively a series of competitions contested by the officers and men of the regular and auxiliary units of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Although crowds didn’t flock to the Tournament in the first year, it was held again in 1881 and subsequent years.
More events to please audiences were added, including music from military bands, re-enactments, Musical Rides by the Cavalry and Musical Drives by the Artillery. Crowds began to flock to performances at the Agricultural hall; during the early 1900s the show outgrew its home and moved to the west London venue of Olympia
Olympia, London
Olympia is an exhibition centre and conference centre in West Kensington, on the boundary between The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, London, W14 8UX, England. It opened in the 19th century and was originally known as the National Agricultural Hall.Opened in 1886,...
. The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
also participated. The show was renamed a number of times until it finally became the Royal Tournament.
Post World War II
After the Second World War, the Tournament once again moved to a larger stage and opened its doors to the public at the Earls Court Exhibition CentreEarls Court Exhibition Centre
The Earls Court Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre, conference and event venue located in west London, United Kingdom in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea . It is the largest exhibition venue in central London. It is served by two underground stations, Earl's Court and West...
in 1950. With the exception of the war years, the Tournament was staged every summer from 1880 to 1999. The Royal Tournament had entered the history books as the First, Oldest and Biggest Military Tattoo
Military tattoo
The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance, but nowadays it sometimes means army displays more generally.It dates from the 17th century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries...
in the World. Towards the end ticket sales were insufficient to cover costs; the 1998 Royal Tournament made a loss. On Monday 2 August 1999 the Royal Tournament closed for the final time to reduce military costs, following the 1998 Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...
.
Other military events such as Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and the Commonwealth armies. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments since the 17th century, although the roots go back much earlier. On battlefields, a regiment's colours, or flags, were used as rallying points...
, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of Military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and International military bands and display teams in the Scottish capital Edinburgh...
, the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo
Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo
The Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo is a military tattoo held in the private grounds of Windsor Castle by permission of Queen Elizabeth II. The tattoo was launched in 2008 with great success and so was held for the second time in 2009...
and Royal International Air Tattoo
Royal International Air Tattoo
The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world's largest military air show, held annually over the third weekend in July, usually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom in support of The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust...
remain an active part of British military pageantry as of 2009, together with the various events organized by the Armed Forces and its three branches.
Comeback as the British Military Tournament
In June 2010, ABF - The Soldiers' CharityArmy Benevolent Fund
ABF The Soldiers' Charity, formerly the Army Benevolent Fund is a British charity. It is the British Army's national charity and provides financial and practical support to soldiers, former soldiers, and their families in times of need....
announced that a new event, to be called the British Military Tournament, would be held over the weekend of 4–5 December 2010, bringing together the "best elements of the Royal Tournament", including the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery is a ceremonial unit of the British Army. It is a mounted unit and all of its soldiers are trained to drive a team of six horses that pull each of the six First World War-era 13-pounder state saluting guns...
's Musical Drive, and the Royal Navy Field gun competition
Field gun competition
The Royal Navy's field gun competition is a contest between teams from various Royal Navy commands, in which teams of sailors compete to transport a field gun and its equipment over and through a series of obstacles in the shortest time. The competition evolved during the first 6 years of the 20th...
. The two themes of the event as announced were the 350th anniversary of the Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
, and the 150th anniversary of both the Army Physical Training Corps
Army Physical Training Corps
The Royal Army Physical Training Corps is the British Army corps responsible for physical fitness and physical education. Its members are all Royal Army Physical Training Corps Instructors ....
and the cadet movement. Initially, the event will feature the Army, with no Royal Navy or RAF presence (beyond the old staples such as the Field Gun competition) but, according to reports in the press, it will become an annual fixture, suggesting that it may revive the old Royal Tournament practice of each service "hosting" the event for a year.
On TV
The Royal Tournament was a regular feature on BBC TV in the summer schedule.The Royal Tournament 1970 was shown on BBC1 on Saturday 25 July and was billed as a second visit to Earl's Court for that year's spectacular and featured
The Musical Drive by The Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
The White Helmets display by the Royal Signals Motor Cycle Team
Continuity Drill by The Queen's Colour Squadron of The Royal Air Force
Massed Band and Bugles of the Light Division
The Royal Corps of Signals in the Bandstand
with commentator Geoffrey Wheeler
Geoffrey Wheeler
Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Edleston Wheeler CIE was a British soldier and an historian of Central Asia.- Life :...
There was a special article in The Radio Times that week on "The White Helmets" - mentioning Sgt George Garside and Signalman Mick Hanson.
The Royal Tournament 1972 was shown on BBC1 on Sunday 16 July and featured
The Musical Drive by The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
,
The Field Gun Competition by The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
,
National Dances by the Singapore Armed Forces,
Commando Assault Course by The Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
42 Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
,
Continuity Drill by The Queen's Colour Squadron,
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in the Bandstand,
The Staff Band of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers,
with commentator Michael Charlton.
The Royal Tournament 1974 was shown on BBC1 on Saturday 13 July and featured
The Musical Drive by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
The Field Gun Competition by The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
,
Continuity Drill by the RAF Queen's Colour Squadron
National Dancing and Music by the Sri Lanka Police Reserve
Massed Bands of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
The Band of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in the Bandstand
with commentator Tom Fleming
Reasons behind the new BMT
In 2010, after a prolonged dialogue with the UK Ministry of Defence, ABF The Soldiers' Charity was authorised by the Ministry of Defence to stage the British Military Tournament (www.britishmilitarytournament.com) at Earls Court arena, London, in sole aid of the charity.Whilst using many of the military assets of the former Royal Tournament (which ended in 1999) the British Military Tournament is a completely new show. The name British Military Tournament derives from the original title of the former Royal Tournament: The Grand Military Tournament. The title Royal Tournament was withheld by the Ministry of Defence because in 2010 the show involved only the British Army whereas the Royal Tournament was a tri-service event.
The principle point of difference with the former Royal Tournament is that the British Military Tournament is produced for The Soldiers' Charity by IMG entirely independently of the Ministry of Defence, whereas the old Royal Tournament was produced by the Ministry of Defence, which provided the infrastructure and took all the financial risk.
There are other significant differences between the two shows.
First, the British Military Tournament has a strong narrative line and "tells a story", using military assets and audio visual effects with contributions by leading UK actors, to illustrate that story; whereas the old Royal Tournament was a variety show in which military units performed their standard acts within a loose theme. In 2010, the story line of the British Military Tournament was the history of the British Army from the English Civil War to Afghanistan today. Units involved included the Household Cavalry, The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, The Company of Pikemen & Musketeers and the Light Cavalry of the Honourable Artillery Company, the massed bands of the Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards, The Rifles and the Brigade of Gurkhas plus the Pipes and Drums of the London Scottiush Regiment. Although the Royal Navy is no longer able to perform the famous Command Field Gun Race, throughout the show the Field Gun competition was run by competinmg crews from Wellington College using reduced scale guns and limbers but full scale rigging and obstacles. In 2011 the story line is based around the "special relationship" between the United Kingdom and the United States of America from the American War of Independence through to the present day; in addition to units from the British Army the show will includes US Army units and American actors. The British Military Tournament's writer & director, Christopher Joll, intends that the story line will change with each succeeding year.
The second significant difference with the old Royal Tournament is that the show does not feature each of the UK's armed services in rotation. In 2010 only the British Army decided to participate. The other two services may provide assets in future years.
Finally, because of the limited availability of service units the British Military Tournament is staged over only three days by contrast with the Royal Tournament which was initially three weeks in duration and later two weeks.
The British Military Tournament was conceived by writer-director Christopher Joll, who had previously devised, written & directed the Household Cavalry Pageant (2006) and the Chelsea Pageant (2008), Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter KCVO OBE DL, Chief Executive of ABF The Soldiers' Charity and the last chairman of the Royal Tournament, and Stephen Flint-Wood, head of Arts & Entertainment at IMG (UK).
See also
- The British Military Tournament
- King's Troop, Royal Horse ArtilleryKing's Troop, Royal Horse ArtilleryThe King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery is a ceremonial unit of the British Army. It is a mounted unit and all of its soldiers are trained to drive a team of six horses that pull each of the six First World War-era 13-pounder state saluting guns...
- Field gun competitionField gun competitionThe Royal Navy's field gun competition is a contest between teams from various Royal Navy commands, in which teams of sailors compete to transport a field gun and its equipment over and through a series of obstacles in the shortest time. The competition evolved during the first 6 years of the 20th...
- Birmingham TattooBirmingham TattooThe Birmingham Tattoo is held annually at the National Indoor Arena in the centre of Birmingham, England. The military tattoo features massed military bands, and spectacular displays. The event takes place for two weekend performances in November or December...
External links
- www.britishmilitarytournament.com - The British Military Tournament Information Website
- www.royaltournament.org - Information Website
- Pictures and Videos of Command Field Gun
- The Devonport Field Gun Association Website
- www.militarytattoo.org - Information Website
- Military Music Spectaculars - Information Website
- The Birmingham Military Tattoo - Information Website
- IMG - IMG Website