Royal guard video kicking child in the way

[DickMabutt73962]

I wasn't born and raised in the UK and am not into the culture of 'tradition' but I don't understand the majority of reactions to this video blaming the parent and saying of the guards 'it's their job'.

Can anyone more enlightened explain to me why this was necessary? As far as I can see the guard is marching, not saving London from attack. I don't see why a side-step wouldn't work. And if this is a register thing then maybe future control of how close members of the public are able to get in their path

www.indy100.com/viral/queen-royal-guard-trampled-kid-tiktok-video-b1983965

These men and women are potentially protecting this country and given the recent bow and arrow attempt on the Queen its unsurprising the guard did not alter his path.

They are protecting no-one, and certainly not protecting the country.

The bow and arrow man was detected by CCTV.

I guess some of you would think getting in the way of the Swiss Guard or taking the piss out of them on a visit to the Vatican would be a perfectly acceptable thing to do to.

Parents of young children do get warned about this when they go to see the parade. The guards will not stop, they are not permitted to. That child’s parents were 100% at fault and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve received a lifetime ban as a result - my friend did during a similar incident and her toddler wasn’t thrown about like this one was

@PurpleCarpets

The Queens Guard aren’t a tourist attraction. They’re professional soldiers who are doing their duty.

This is somewhat disingenuous. They absolutely are a tourist attraction. They wear fancy dress, and they perform strange rituals. If they want to be treated as serious soldiers by the public I'd suggest they dress down and cut out the romantic bits.

Absolutely this!!

They are certainly at work - but they're also part of the tourist-attracting scenery. If they were genuinely involved in serious, vital soldiery, they'd be wearing camo FFS. And they are not 'protecting the Queen' - she's not at the Tower!

I love visiting the Tower of London and I would certainly respect anyone marching briskly towards me carrying any sort of a weapon. But this kid has his back to them, he's quite young - would it really have made THAT much difference if the guy who barged him just deviated 50cm to the side without breaking step?

ToL is heaving with staff and volunteers to help/corral tourists - surely one of them could actually make sure the way is cleared for these guard changes (or whatever it was)? Barging into a young kid and knocking him to the ground during the enactment of ritualised, traditional manoeuvres in a time of peace - really doesn't look good, either nationally or internationally. Hope they weren't foreign tourists.

@mathanxiety

They guard asset and infrastructure, and I can assure you they can perform their duties in the uniform. They can run and they can fight. Ok the bearskin might fall off, but that wouldn't be essential it's not a helmet. Guards do the same promotion courses and fitness courses as other branches of the military. They still have to have qualifying fitness times, and they can still run in boots and a coat. They are hardly prancing about in high heels and a straight jacket

They are running the risk of serious head injuries if their ridiculous headgear falls off, rendering them not fit for purpose.

I'll remind you again, it was CCTV, not any guards marching pompously about in the grounds of Windsor Castle, that prevented an armed man from getting further than he did.

These marching buffoons perform the very necessary function of making the past look quaint and cute as opposed to a long and miserable saga of rampant injustice, and degradation of the poor. That's all they're good for.

I noted you cut out the part of my post that stated, they aren't the queen's body guards, that's what the close protection team are. Those CCTV watching people you refer too.

Queen's guard in the tower of London are guarding the tower not the monarch. They are not risking a head injury because their head dress falls off, no more than a paratrooper who's beret comes off. Helmets are worn in war zones where live amunition is highly likely. I mean if you want to see the queen's guard in combat gear, body plates and helmets then fine. But I think they'd prefer the uniform they have on now which is functional and they can perform their duties in.

The guards are also changed, every year. At horse guards parade during the monarchs birthday.

You have Irish guards, Welsh Guards, Scottish guards they rotate between ceremonial and asset guarding and then combat. You do know that "the guards" have been deployed to Afghanistan? It's not always the same regiment as such.

The guards are trained to keep on course- and clear obstacles thus. He'd have got in trouble if he'd acted otherwise. They're very strict, and with purpose. I thought he did well to keep step and step-over the kid.

Just because you've not seen them doing anything that isn't effectively royal tableaux window dressing, even with other security around, doesn't mean they can't and won't if necessary!

I've realised the men didn't see the boy until it was too late because their view was obstructed by those things on their heads.

I wonder how they're supposed to see any potential threat - let alone defend themselves or anyone in time - beforehand wearing those hats? It's laughable and I'm pretty sure they hate those silly things. It's all for show now.

I don't understand this really. If the guards are not to be distracted and disturbed then why are people allowed to get so close never mind a child especially as many of you have mentioned the rifles being loaded? And for parents with perfectly behaved children, have your children never tried to cross the road thinking it was ok where you luckily were able to pull them back or in a supermarket car park, have you never experienced any near misses with your child? The child to me looked very confused with the shouting "make way" which would have scared him hence why not knowing which direction he was supposed to go to losing balance from the shock. The mother was close by anyway, perhaps a metre away with her other two children.

To me it was totally unnecessary...

@mathanxiety

The Queens Guard aren’t a tourist attraction. They’re professional soldiers who are doing their duty.

They're doing a piss poor job of guarding the queen given that a man invaded the grounds of Windsor Castle recently.

They're not really dressed for action. Their uniform and equipment are not fit for purpose. Snipers on the roof and plain clothes officers mingling in the area are a far better idea. Or CCTV, which is how the Windsor Castle breach was first noticed.

They are 100% there for tourism purposes. Hence the silly, antiquated uniforms and the marching about.

Knocking the child over was a completely unnecessarily brutal way to conduct themselves. It may have been acceptable back when urchins were hanged or transported to the British Gulag of Australia for stealing bread, but it has no place in the world of 2021.

Sums it up perfectly 👏

@howdiditcometothis666

I guess some of you would think getting in the way of the Swiss Guard or taking the piss out of them on a visit to the Vatican would be a perfectly acceptable thing to do to.

Or the sentinels who protect the tomb of the unknown soldier.

@GlomOfNit yes this exactly. I don’t like seeing a young child hurt and taken aback a bit by this thread. The optics are awful.

@GlomOfNit

ToL is heaving with staff and volunteers to help/corral tourists - surely one of them could actually make sure the way is cleared for these guard changes

I mentioned upthread that on my last visit a few years back this is exactly what happens. The Yeoman warders go out first and push the spectators aside to clear a path. They actually tell you in no uncertain terms to keep ahold of your crotch gremlins as the soldiers won't stop.

@Marianne1234

Some people really fucking loathe being British don’t they.

Where would you prefer to hail from?

Don’t they just.

Some people really fucking loathe being British don’t they.

Where would you prefer to hail from?

I’d wager most would prefer to hail from somewhere that allows them to play the oppression card. Being a white Brit is far too high up the privilege scale! 😂

@mathanxiety yes exactly

Can you imagine if this was a British kid who got tripped over in a ceremony in any other country?

"When in Rome etc - the parents should have respected the culture"

"We Brits are so ignorant/arrogant when we visit other countries"

"The parents should have apologised immediately for not supervising their child"

Etc...(handwringing)...etc...(more handwringing)...etc...

Crotch gremlins! 🙊

@WorraLiberty

Can you imagine if this was a British kid who got tripped over in a ceremony in any other country?

"When in Rome etc - the parents should have respected the culture"

"We Brits are so ignorant/arrogant when we visit other countries"

"The parents should have apologised immediately for not supervising their child"

Etc...(handwringing)...etc...(more handwringing)...etc...

I’m willing to bet that child and his parents have caused mayhem everywhere else they go too.

The guard will be fined £200 for breaking formation. He did what he could to not trample the child but he is not allowed to stop, turn around or anything other than march.
Horrible for him. That child should not have been there so yes it is the parent's fault.

I don't think it was necessary to collide with the child. No, the child wasn't trampled or kicked, but the realm would not have crumbled if the guard walked around the kid, who was clearly oblivious. I would not have understood or reacted to his incomprehensible warning shout in time, either.

Spot on, Worra 😂

@howdiditcometothis666

Note sensible barriers keeping the public from being trampled by the Swiss Guard.

Note also that the Guard don't march about in the officious British manner.

@mathanxiety

I’d be really interested to know how many of you who think the soldier did a terrible thing are from London or from a town where there is any sort of military presence? It was one of the first things we were taught as kids. Look where you’re going, get out the way of anyone marching towards you.

They have conditioned you well. And conditioned the forces to treat you like dirt.

No wonder the government was able to effectively crush the ability of the people to protest in the streets, to the cheers of those who can't see beyond their own noses.

That’s a bit of a leap, isn’t it? 🙄

I haven’t been conditioned or treated like dirt at all. I haven’t been pushed over and stepped on either. And that’s because my family weren’t so fucking entitled to think that a bunch of soldiers trying to do their job needed to go around ME, so taught me how to behave in that situation. You know, like parents are supposed to do.

And I’m all for a bit of protesting too, because I can see far enough beyond my own nose to understand that exercising my democratic right to protest is a bit different from expecting armed guards to pander to my convenience.

It actually looked like the kid ran out and the guard stumbled over him.