Over the weekend, three individuals working for the Royal Family manually adjusted more than 1,600 timepieces as the clocks moved forward by an hour to mark the start of British Summer Time (BST). This effort included updating clocks at various royal residences, such as Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace in London, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

The Royal Collection Trust highlighted the significance of the timepieces within the collection, which include musical clocks, astronomical clocks, and miniature clocks. Among the notable pieces is the Anne Boleyn Clock, dating back to 1532 and believed to have been a gift from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn on their wedding day. Additionally, Queen Charlotte’s watch, known for being one of the first to feature a lever escapement, is considered a precursor to modern wrist and pocket watches.

As the clocks were adjusted forward on March 30, they are scheduled to be set back by an hour on October 25. The meticulous maintenance of these historic timepieces underscores their importance within the royal residences.