kinggeorge

I believe the building in the background is the Old Admiralty and the parade ground itself is the Horse Guards Parade.

I think so too, they still Troop the Colour there.

Interesting detail: about 2/3 of the way to the right, in front of the line of guards and just behind the foreground figure, there is a second mounted figure who appears to be Indian. He's wearing a decorated turban of some kind, has a moustache, and doesn't look particularly old. You can see him in the medium size, but he stands out more in the larger sizes. Someone has tagged this "raj" -- so I can't be the only one who's noticed. I wonder who he is? Also more apparent in the larger size: masses of people standing on a balcony in the background, and at almost every window!

Well spotted CM! Isn't that interesting. I'd guess he was some visiting dignitary but I don't have the faintest idea who.

My guess is that they are from India/Hindustan.

Perhaps King George I of Greece, certainly Czar Ferdinand of Bulgaria who figures in other Bain photos, see www.flickr.com/search/?q=ferdinand+bulgaria. If it is George of Greece, it is before March 18, 1913, when he was assassinated -- in Salonika. I get the impression the countries were at odds over Salonika by then, See query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C05E2DF1730E233A... The picture at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_I_of_Greece shows him with a long moustache, so he could be to the left (as we look) of Ferdinand. The Wikipedia article indicates "On 9 November 1912, Greek forces rode into Salonika, just a few hours ahead of a Bulgarian division." This action was against the Turks, during the First Balkan War.

swanq, thank you for this information! We will clarify the names in the source data and reload the description.

Actually, King George I of the Hellenes (the man with the long mustache next to the Bulgarian tsar) was assassinated on March 5, 1913 as he was proceeding from the Hadjilazarou Mansion, near Thessaloniki's White Tower, to the quay to board a German naval motorboat in order to pay a protocol visit to the admiral-in-command abroad the SMS Goeben, the German imperial navy's battle-cruiser of WW1 fame. The King was conversing with his aide-de-camp, Major Fragoudis, as he was proceeding down the street when Alexandros Schinas stepped forth and shot the King once in the back. Schinas attempted to shoot Fragoudis as well but the major swiftly disarmed the assassin and surrendered him to two Cretan gendarmes, who had rushed to the scene. The King was pronounced DOA at a nearby infirmary.

Here's an official photo of King George

The above picture of the Greek King with the Bulgarian Czar (who had his two sons on his left) was shot in December 1912 after the Bulgarians lost the race to occupy Thessaloniki before an advancing Greek army arrived to liberate the city on November 5, 1912. See below a photo of King George entering Thessaloniki on horseback on that day (king on left; Prince Constantine, heir to the throne, rides alongside).

This will be George V en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_V grandson of Queen Victoria and king from 1910 to 1936.

His Majesty, King George 5 Reigned 1910 to 1936 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_V

Thanks Retired at last. We'll update our catalog record with the 'V' to distinquish him from the othre King George's.