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<\/a><\/p>\nThe occasion is the annual march organised by the English Civil War Society<\/a> to commemorate the death of King Charles I, executed on 30 January 1649. For more than half a century, the Society has marked the anniversary on the last Sunday of January with a solemn procession down The Mall, recalling what contemporaries described as the King\u2019s \u201chorrid murder\u201d.<\/p>\n So, on Sunday 25th January, members of the reenactment society will converge on The Mall from all across the country, some arriving already dressed in buff coats and broad-brimmed hats, others changing into period clothing on arrival. There are pikes to be shouldered, muskets checked, and a few tentative practice swings as old drill is recalled, before the ranks are set and order restored.<\/p>\n The assembly takes place at the end of The Mall<\/a> beside St James\u2019s Palace, with the main march stepping off at around 11am and proceeding towards Horseguards Parade<\/a>. There, a short service is held, and at about 12:30pm, a small detachment peels away from the\u00a0 main body and passes beneath the arches to the Banqueting House.<\/p>\n There, a wreath will be laid on the spot where Charles I met his end.<\/p>\n Members of the King\u2019s Army are careful with their language: they never speak of an \u201cexecution\u201d, a term which implies lawful authority, but of a killing they maintain was illegal.<\/p>\n The loyal cheer for King Charles can still stop passers-by in their tracks, until it becomes clear that this is Charles, first of his name, not the current King Charles, third of his name.<\/p>\n After the parade on Horseguards, they head back to St James\u2019s Palace for about 1pm.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n