How old are the royal guards?

Elite soldiers have guarded the King or Queen since the reign of Henry VII who made the Royal Body Guard a permanent institution which has spanned over 520 years of history.

How old is the Queen's Guard uniform?

With their typical love of understatement, the British Army actually refers to these huge hats as “caps.” They were first worn by British soldiers in 1815, following the defeat of Napoleon's forces at the Battle of Waterloo. The 18-inch-high bearskins made the French grenadiers seem taller, more intimidating.

Do royal guards get paid?

After getting an acceptable score on the BARB test, a soldier is ready to join the Queen's Guard. The salary for this job is paid based on a list defined by the British army, with values starting at £20,400 (or around $28,266).

Are Royal Guards actual soldiers?

The British Army has regiments of both Horse Guards and Foot Guards predating the English Restoration (1660), and since the reign of King Charles II these regiments have been responsible for guarding the Sovereign's palaces. The Guards are fully operational soldiers.

How long are royal guards on duty?

The guards at Buckingham Palace and St James Palace are on duty for 24 or 48 hours. During that time a Guardsman will have 2 hours on sentry duty and then 4 hours off.

The Queen's Guard

Do royal guards get fired for smiling?

They Won't Smile for a Selfie

Visitors to Buckingham Palace love provoking the royal guards in a bid to get them to smile. But their attempts are in vain. No matter how many jokes you make or photos you take the royal guards' somber expression won't crack.

Can the Queen's guards be female?

Captain Megan Couto has become the first female ever to lead the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace.

What happens if you touch a Queen's Guard?

If idiots act threateningly towards the Royal Family, the Queen's Guard, or the general public around them, they will stop you. If you touch their bear-skin hat, they'll probably ignore you or shout at you. If you grab their rifle, the next thing you'll see is the end of their barrel.

How tall are the Queen's guards?

The Queen's guards aren't as tall as they used to be

'The height requirement has been brought down to 5' 10", but traditionally, if you were in the Queen's Company within the Grenadier Guards, you had to be 6' 2" or over. They were known as “the models” because they were so tall.

Do royal guards go to war?

If you've ever been to Buckingham Palace, you've probably noticed the armed guards wearing the bearskin caps standing sentry. These aren't your average security guards roaming through shopping malls. They are Queen's Guards and are fully-trained operational soldiers — and most have been deployed to combat zones.

Can Royal Guards talk?

There are circumstances in which they are allowed to speak…

Guards “are allowed to get [people] away by shouting… warnings if they fail to move away or start to act aggressively,” the Reddit guard says. For instance, they're known to yell “make way for the Queen's Guard!” at tourists who get in their way.

How do the royal guards not smile?

It shows Ceremonial Guardsmen from the U.S. Air Force being trained in the art of not-laughing-warfare. Similar to the Queen's guards they aren't allowed to laugh or show any emotion while on duty. So they undergo vigorous rubber chicken testing to see if they will crack under ridiculous pressure.

Why do royal guards wear big hats?

So why do these guards wear tall black hats and conspicuous red tunics? As hard as it may be to believe, the uniform was supposed to intimidate opposing armies. "The idea was that you made your foot soldiers look taller and therefore more fearsome," said Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator based in London.

How long do the Queen's guards stand for?

Typically, a Guardsman spends two hours on duty and four off. He is not expected to stand still for any more than ten minutes at a time. Every so often, he will march up and down in front of his sentry box, rather like a policeman "walking the beat".

Why do the Queen's guards stomp?

According to a report by DailyMail, the Queen's Guards are given specific orders to deal with obstacles that may come on their marching route. They are allowed to shout 'Make way for the Queen's Guards' and also stomp their feet.

Are bearskins real fur?

The standard bearskin for the British foot guards is 11 inches (280 millimetres) tall at the front, 16 inches (410 millimetres) to the rear, weighs 1.5 pounds (0.68 kilograms), and is made from the fur of the Canadian black bear.

How do you become a Queen's Guard?

In order to join the Royal Guard, a trainee soldier has to pass the British Army Recruit Battery (BARB) test. The scores of the BARB test helps to categorise whether they join a combat role or one of the combat support groups.

How often do the Queen's guards change?

The Queen's Guard soldiers actually work in shifts of 2 hours each, which means new guards begin their shift every 2 hours.

What are the Queen's guards not allowed to do?

You just can't move

While on duty, Queen's Guards are not supposed to move or respond to anything that the tourists may throw at them. However, the rules indicate that after being still for at least 10 minutes, they can march up and down the street in order to stretch their legs and avoid passing out.

What happens when a Royal Guard smiles?

The Queen's Guard are punished if they smile

If they are caught laughing or smiling by a superior officer they are fined around ₤200 (approximately $260) from their pay.

Can you take pictures with royal guards?

You're definitely welcome to have your picture taken with the Guards. They're used to it and it won't be an issue.

Do royal guards go home?

Guards are supposed to remain still

While on guard, the Queen's Guards are not supposed to move, however, they can march up and down the street after remaining still for at least 10 minutes, according to the British Royal Family. Guards are on duty for two hours and off duty for four hours.

Why do guards wear bearskins?

Answer. Answer: The origins are that every gunner in the British military and the French military wore bearskin caps to make them taller and more intimidating because they were the ones that did the hand to hand fighting. In Napoleon's imperial guard everybody wore them, and they were supposed to be his elite troops.

Why are they called Beefeaters?

Henry VII's personal guards were the first 'Beefeaters', so named as they were permitted to eat as much beef as they wanted from the King's table, and Henry VIII decreed that some of them would stay and guard the Tower permanently.