I'm shocked at this picture in the news..

[AppelFrench]

A Queen's guard being given water. Can you imagine wearing a wool jacket & bearskin hat in this heat? This uniform needs rethinking for extreme heat.

any excuse for faux-outrage on someone else's behalf.

All the time. Those ceremonial regiments would continue to exist if the UK was a republic.

They do not normally change over every 10 minutes.

This.

This has to be my favourite MN comment ever!

Love it 😂

They are soldiers trained to kill. I'm sure they'll thank you for your pearl clutching, but it's a question of honour and privilege to be in that job, and I'm sure they will manage.

They are fine! They really don’t want to be felt sorry for honestly. We had dinner with some household cav at the weekend and they were saying they weren’t worried about this week.

DH was different reg but he said if you’ve been out in Iraq this is a doddle. No sympathy needed.

So you sign up to do a job and that means the employer can treat you how they want? You know that is not the case

Wtf?

Stop making shit up and pretending I said it.

Look at some central Asian populations, where the continental climate means that 40s in the summer are business as usual.

They traditionally dress up in the summer, not down. Yes, some of them even including fur outfits. Google "telpek".

There's nothing inherently heat-generating about a fur hat, but what it does do - it insulates you from the ambient temperature. If the ambient temperature is above the normal body temperature (so around 37), you're actually winning.

😂😂

What do you suggest? A vest and swimming trunks?

I don’t disagree in principle but OP TELIC didn’t generally involve dressing in no.1s and bearskins 😉

yup.

They could have air conditioning in their little huts at the very least.

Tbh I don't agree.with.parading these.soldiers as a tourist attraction. It's demeaning. It's fuck all to do with protecting the Queen anymore It's about bringing money and tourists into London. As well as having to wear that ridiculous uniform the amount of shir they get off members of the public is unreal. Also think it shows just how out of touch the Royals are when they can't apply a but of common sense and decency by making arrangement for when we're experiencing dangerously high temperatures.

They are not a tourist attraction, they are working soldiers! Pretty sure the members of the household guard that I know are working, protecting the buildings, not just standing there for photo ops.

They are not a tourist attraction, they are working soldiers! Pretty sure the members of the household guard that I know are working, protecting the buildings, not just standing there for photo ops

Bit disingenuous. How are other buildings/people protected? Not like this.

I don't see anyone criticising the soldiers - just the ridiculous farce of having a royal family that demand all this nonsense.

No. They're working soldiers being used as a tourist attraction. If anyone can't see that they're deluded.

Isn’t he in the armed forces though. He’s not an “employee of the monarchy”.

the bearskins are taken from culled animals in Canada.

he has a different grey uniform for winter with heavy woollen coat.

they are on active duty in places like Iraq (and recently Afghanistan) where it’s much hotter so he’s well used to a 30 degree heat.

the police man giving him a drink is wearing a stab vest and hat as well. Uniforms are uniforms.

Whether that’s a bearskin hat or a two set and pearls, those who serve the nation, from Queen, to squaddie, to PC plod understand that this service comes with rules, and a uniform is part of that. He wears his regimentals with pride, as does her Maj.

It’s the Army that demands “all this nonsense”, not the monarchy.

And nobody forced them to join a ceremonial regiment. They signed up of their own free will

There's nothing ceremonial about the guards regiments. They are our active infantry and most likely to be first on the ground in any kind of conflict.

They do have ceremonial duties which is an entirely different thing.

Standing guard duty even in this weather is definitely one of the less onerous things they do in their job.

Well this thread has moved on!
Just say to I’m ex armed forces and have stood on parade in my woolen uniform in all weather. You do just get on with it.
I had a mate who used to put a damp T-shirt under his uniform! Plenty of water and if you feel unwell you take a knee and tell someone.
They’ll be fine. They’re fit and healthy.

And as many have said, our infantry are generally pretty well trained and educated in operating in heat. Years in Afghanistan has made them hardened to operating in extreme conditions. They’re specifications trained for it, and I remember in my training going through the heat stress index and operating procedures within it.

It’s the Army that demands “all this nonsense”, not the monarchy

If there wasn't a monarchy, there be no need for the nonsense.

It's absolutely ludicrous.

Not much about this heat gives me the rage, but this is so wrong.

People are being ridiculous, they train for this stuff all the time. The uniform is absolutely nothing compared to the kit they carry out on patrol. Those shoulders don’t just stand there, they deployed to Afghan and also do postings with the armoured cavalry.

There are British soldiers around the world right now in much worse conditions than ten minutes outside Buckingham Palace.