If we could do it... anyone can do it, seriously.

[Starfox]

Two videos for you today. They are from last year, 2024, when UK and France celebrated the 120th anniversary of the "Entente Cordiale" which was the treaty that made UK and France allies and put a definitive end to the conflicts that lasted the best part of a millennium between our two nations. And if we could be friends after having been enemies for that amount of centuries, anyone can do it.

Of course, 10 years after the "Entente Cordiale" was signed, we found ourselves embroiled in WW1, the first time in history that the British and the French were fighting in the same trenches and not against each other. Sure, going together through the meat grinder that was WW1 allowed us to forge some serious bonds, reinforcing our blossoming friendship but the decision to be allies was made a decade before WW1 before any real pressure was put on us. I guess that our forefathers were just like "Well, enough is enough, we've been at war or in a state of animosity since 1066 and what did that give us exactly, aside from war, misery and death?"

1904 was an important year in our shared history, the year when we commonly decided to stop being stupid. And yes, 120 years later, the "Entente Cordiale" is still a thing. That doesn't mean we don't have our squabbles, occasionally, like any friends but in 120 years our alliance has been tested numerous times and never faltered.

Anyway, I'm going to leave you with those two videos, very rare ones, where you can see the British Royal Guard parading in Paris and the French Republican Guard parading in London.

You can start the first video at 25:15 because if you're not familiar with the soldier life, the life of a soldier is mostly waiting, waiting for orders, waiting for the conditions to be right, waiting for the fight to start (or the parade in this case), waiting for anything to happen, really. I have (not so) fond memories of my time in the army waiting. You can of course opt to watch the whole video but really it's mostly waiting.

Oh, and for those who wonder, the building in front of which the Royal Guard is standing is the British Embassy in Paris.

The second video is at Buckingham Palace in London. I have to rectify the title of that video which state "Gendarmerie Nationale" because it isn't. It is the "Garde Républicaine" (Republican guard). both have different parade uniforms and purpose.  It's not a complete miss however because the "Garde Républicaine" is a branch of the "Gendarmerie Nationale" but a very special one. The "Garde Républicaine" (created in 1802 under the name of "Garde de Paris" by Napoleon) has similar duties to the British Royal Guard in the UK, guarding official buildings and protecting head of states (the Royal Family for the British, the President, Prime minister.. etc. for France). They are also representing their respective countries during official state visits.

Also, The Republican Guard is the last military unit in France to occasionally perform a full cavalry charge (rarely, because such charges are dangerous for both men and horses).

Looking at that made me wish that all the countries in the world could stop for one minute and say: 'Hey, guys, what if we stopped being stupid?"

And as a bonus... A charge by the Cavalry of the "Garde Républicaine". Impressive as always: