Royal guard collapses alongside the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II
A Royal guard has collapsed while on duty alongside Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin.
It’s no doubt been a tough day for many paying their respects at Westminster Hall, however, it seemed to all be too much for one dedicated guard - as you can watch below.
In footage that has gone viral online, one guard can be seen looking faint and out of sorts in the early hours of the morning (September 15).
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The man appeared to stumble before collapsing off the stage and landing with a thud as several police rushed to his aid.
The other guards on duty looked to remain unfazed by the incident, committing to their duties of guarding Her Majesty’s coffin.
The footage takes place as the guards begin to swap their duties.
Moments before the clip ends, the guard is gradually raised off the floor as the footage transitions to another shot.
Poor fella.
He fell from quite a bit of height as the Queen’s coffin has been placed on a raised platform called a catafalque.
It is currently being guarded around the clock by units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division, or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.
People were clearly concerned for the guard’s wellbeing after the incident emerged online, with the man seemingly hitting his head quite hard.
One viewer took to Twitter to say: "He must've been so overwhelmed with what was happening."
Another commented: “Poor man, I hope he’s alright. It was awful to see.”
A third wrote: "The poor soldier who just fainted while standing guard at the Queen's Lying in State was holding a rather large sword. It could’ve been very nasty!"
The Queen will be guarded until her funeral on September 19, which is set to take place at Westminster Abbey.
It is predicted to be the most watched broadcast of all time.
It's believed a whopping 4.1 billion people from across the globe will be tuning in too, according to industry experts.
If this does play out, this will far surpass previous broadcasting records including the 3.6 billion people who reportedly watched Muhammad Ali open the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and the 2005 Live 8 which drew in 2 billion viewers.
Jayden Collins