page_title: Guard mounting
section_title: Norway
hierarchical_section_title: Guard mounting / Guard mounting by country / Norway
caption_attribution_description: English: Changing of the guard inside Akershus fortress in Oslo, Norway. Guardsmen in winter uniforms outside "Nordfløyen" of Akershus Castle. November 30th, 2017. Hans Majestet Kongens Garde (HMKG) the Royal Guards in Norway, is a battalion of the Norwegian Army. It serves as the Norwegian King's bodyguards, guarding the royal residences (the Royal Palace in Oslo, Bygdøy Kongsgård and Skaugum) and Akershus Fortress in Oslo, and is also the main infantry unit responsible for the defence of Oslo.
context_page_description: Guard mounting, changing the guard, or the changing of the guard, is a formal ceremony in which sentries performing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate and precisely choreographed. They originated with peacetime and battlefield military drills introduced to enhance unit cohesion and effectiveness in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
context_section_description: In the state capital, Oslo, His Majesty the King's Guard keeps the Royal Palace and the Royal Family guarded for 24 hours a day. Every day at 1330 hrs, there is a Change of Guards outside the Palace. The ceremony consists of two parts and lasts for about 40 minutes. Otherwise, the guards work in shifts of two hours. The Guards are also stationed at Akershus Fortress, where the Change of Guards also takes place at 1330 hrs. They also guard the residence of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and their own camp, Gardeleiren, outside Oslo. 
  The two last of these duties are considered "green watches": the guards wear battle uniform, an olive and green uniform featuring a short jacket, shirt and tie and the guard's unique forage cap. The famous parade uniform dating from 1860, which consists of a wide-brimmed hat with black plume, dark blue tunic and trousers with white stripes, is worn on the more prestigious palace and fortress watches. Usually, during the summer, there are Guard Parades, where the New Guard marches from Akershus Fortress accompanied by a band, through Oslo's parade street to Karl Johan's Gate.
  His Majesty the King's Guard is organized as a battalion, with a Lieutenant Colonel as chief. The battalion has seven companies. Each company consists of about 200 guards, and has its own field of specialization:
  His Majesty the King's Guard consists of male conscripts who are undertaking their compulsory military service but also includes women who volunteer to join the Guards.
caption: Members of the Hans Majestet Kongens Garde prepare to relieve guardsmen at Akershus Fortress.
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