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Ariana Baio
Sep 15, 2022
Royal guard faints while protecting Queen Elizabeth's coffin during her Lying-In-State at ...
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It's important to keep your knees bent when standing for long periods of time to help prevent fainting, but for guards standing at Queen Elizabeth II's coffin, that was not an option.
Wednesday evening, one guard standing at the foot of the Queen's casket collapsed suddenly while maintaining his post.
The incident was captured on the live stream of the lying-in-state shocking viewers at home and those waiting in the queue Westminster Hall.
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Perhaps it was due to locked knees, or perhaps something else, either way the royal guards have strict rules they must adhere to while guarding the Queen's casket.
Part of this includes standing perfectly still while guarding the four corners of the Queen's casket - for their six-hour shifts.
\u201cI hope the poor guard who fainted at the Lying-in-State is okay! #lyinginstate #WestminsterHall #QueenElizabethII\u201d— Bryan (@Bryan) 1663198390
The guards are soldiers taken from units like the Sovereign’s Bodyguard and the Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London. According to The Independent, they rotate around the coffin every 20 minutes during their six-hour long time in the spotlight.
While they do move every few minutes, they are required to stand perfectly still when at their post.
Guards are present at all times of day because the lying in state is 24 hours a day so the public may pay their respects to the late monarch.
The lying in state will end on Monday when they proceed to the Queen's funeral.
\u201cOne of the Queen's bodyguards holding vigil over the Queen has fainted during a change of the guard.\u201d— Alex Tiffin (@Alex Tiffin) 1663198860
People watching the live stream expressed sympathy for the collapsed guard and wished him well on social media.
It is not clear if he suffered any major injuries.
\u201cThe gentleman who collapsed was from The Royal Company of Archers, the sovereign\u2019s bodyguard in Scotland. I did some sleuthing & it turns out a similar thing happened during the Queen\u2019s St Giles progress.\n\nThis Archer collapsed too.\n\nAs you see, they\u2019re older than usual soldiers.\u201d— vbspurs (@vbspurs) 1663198044
According to one recount, the guard had teetered while standing on the stairs of the catafalque before clashing with the ground.
He was attended to immediately by police officers standing nearby. But other guards maintained their strict standing-still position as they watched their fellow solider be carried off.
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