26 April 2023 , 11:23
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As tourists look set to flock to the capital for the King's coronation weekend, many will be stopping for photos of the guardsman protecting the monarch.
More than 6,000 men and women from the armed forces will be taking part in the celebrations next weekend, but soldiers are on display year round.
The King's Guards take part in ceremonial roles as well as fighting on the frontline if and when the need arises.
But last summer people were divided when a then Queen's guardsman reportedly "screamed in the face" of a tourist who got too close to his horse.
TikTok user Ethan (@_phigs) shared the video of his step-mum being screamed at, and then vowed he would never come back.
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The video showed Ethan's step-mum going over to the soldier, who was riding a tall, black horse outside Buckingham Palace, after she had queued to pose for a photo.
Just as the photo was being taken, the woman reaches to hold the horse's reins.
The guardsman alerted the woman (phigs_/TikTok)
The tourist touched the horse's reigns (phigs_/TikTok)The animal gets quite visibly distressed, causing the solider to shout at her.
"Stand back from the Queen's lifeguard, don't touch the reins!" he yelled firmly.
The incident garnered mixed reactions, with many people feeling sorry for the woman, who they said didn't realise she was doing anything wrong.
One TikTok user wrote: "He was a rather angry little man."
"Is this a new trend to get shouted at by the queen's guard?" another said.
That said, others didn't feel such sympathy for the woman, and said she shouldn't have just touched the reins as she did.
One person said: "It’s not Disney they are working horses and serving army."
A second commented: "They really don’t care if you’re going back I promise you", and a third remarked: "Serves her right you aren’t allowed to touch the guard."
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One person in the comments section recalled being allowed to grab the reins for a picture after asking permission from a soldier.
An Army spokesman said: “We take all incidents like this seriously and want to ensure all those who visit Horse Guards have an enjoyable time.
"This area is particularly busy with tourists and on occasions the soldiers undertaking Guard duty need to shout loudly to alert members of the public if they get too close to the horses, which happened in this case.
“We have signs placed alongside the horse boxes, stating that the horses bite and would always encourage the public not to get close to horses, as after all, they are animals and can be unpredictable.”
For a full run-down on timings for the coronation on Saturday, May 6 click here