King Charles' Royal Guard breaks protocol - see sweet moment boy's wish comes true

March 17, 2024

A member of King Charles’ royal guard broke protocol in a special moment with a tourist – something which rarely happens.

The King’s Guard’s pivotal role is to protect the royal residence and the royal family. Although flocks of tourists travel to see the guard and stunning horses every single day, they’re not a tourist attraction. They are real members of the guard with true duties. Often, videos flood TikTok and social media of instances of the guards losing their cool with tourists if they come too close. In some cases, if someone were to touch or attempt to get too close to the horse, it leads to a heavy altercation. However, it seems one of King Charles‘ royal guards had a change of heart recently.

King Charles’ Royal Guards’ sweet moment with tourist

Even though most tourists and admirers travel to see the gorgeous animals, horses are unpredictable. Especially if people push their limits. The guard’s primary duty is to stand watch over the residence and to protect the monarch (this was Queen Elizabeth II before Charles). Therefore, if someone pushes their like, or it looks like something may spook the horse, they have to step in.

Clips on Twitter have often seen many royal fans come to defend the guards, who are seen shouting when someone gets too close.

Have you ever seen tourists trying to touch soldier’s hair at a US army base? It’s the same principle. But it seems fans forget they have a real job because of the fascination with The Firm.

With that in mind, a cute clip of a man being allowed to stroke the horse has had viewers’ hearts melting.

‘Priceless moment’ caught on camera

The clip, uploaded on August 22 on YouTube, shows the timid teenager approach the animal. He remains respectful and avoids getting too close while beaming ear to ear.

The guard acknowledges his calm temperament and moves, so he can pet the horse and take a quick snap. Initially, the horse and guard were in the arched doorway. Sometimes the horse and guard stand outside, but they do change it up by moving back a few paces when tourists are getting too close. To help the by-stander see the animal in better detail, he shifts forward.

It’s clear he’s over the moon with the interaction – which is quite rare in itself.

The channel, @TheKingsGuards, commented on the video: “What A Kind and Priceless Moment by King’s Guard towards A Special Teen!

“Guard looked and Saw the Special Man and move the Horse Towards him, and when the man was done and wanted to go He repeated Bye Bye to the Guard. What a precious moment to witness.”

One user commented: “The smile on that young boy’s face was priceless. The guards tried so hard to get his horse closer to him. I wish the tourists would have done the same. Beautiful moment.”

Another added: “What a sweet young man. I loved watching his excitement. Thank you to the soldier for being so kind.”

A third penned: “Clips like this are guaranteed to make you smile. Fantastic job all the guards do, and let’s not forget those majestic horses.”

If you want to see the adorable moment yourself, skip to 12 minutes.

The important role of the royal guard

They stand guard outside the palace to protect the royal residents from any harm – even if the King or Queen Consort Camilla are not in there. Their duty remains the same if no royal is in residence, including Prince William or Kate Middleton.

Although it’s mostly a ceremonial role now, and a tourist attraction, the guards are still trained soldiers. It’s no gimmick.

They spend 30 weeks of training, which is two weeks more than the regular infantry. The extra time is devoted to the care and attention they’ll need protecting the royal grounds.

They’re similar to the Foot Guards seen wearing the full uniform dress. Red tunics and bearskin hats are easily recognizable from a distance. They are the primary garrison for the capital, and military security of the Sovereign. The changing of the guard sees the soldiers go on and off duty, switching out which guards are standing on the premises.

But again, people still think they are just there to be gawked at and touched. However, this is not permitted and will likely get a telling off. Besides, how would the guard know that you were not attempting to harm the monarchy? They’re allowed to use their voice to try to get people out of the way of the ceremony, changing of the guards, patrol. However, it can lead to some tense videos of tourists getting too close or being yelled at.

Our advice for the next time you’re in the presence of King Charles’ royal guards – enjoy the view from a distance. Don’t get too close!