Royal guard outside Windsor Castle "loses cool," shoves female tourist standing in his way
The royal guards outside Windsor Castle have often caught the attention of tourists, and it is no surprise that many people want to click pictures with them or record them marching.
However, things took a turn for the worse for one such tourist, who in her excitement, failed to move out of the way of one such guard.
A footage, which has now gone viral, shows a tourist standing on the wrong side of the rope and blocking the path for the guard to walk as she stands in between to strike a pose for her perfect shot.
With the woman standing on his path, the video shows the Queen's guard barge into her and almost pushing her to the floor. The woman, who is spotted wearing a yellow dress along with a pair of sunglasses is heard screaming as she is shoved out of the way.
While it is unclear when the incident took place, an "army source" who spoke to Huffington Post UK, said that the entire scene was a set-up. While the video may seem harsh, the source claims that it was just an act of the woman to record a video and in turn "provoke" the guardsman to get a footage she could then upload on social media to catch people's attention.
According to the outlet, the source claims that the woman had been showcasing unruly behavior prior to the video being shot.
It is reported that she was trying to “grab” the soldier’s arm, rifle and bearskin hat, and had been asked to stop. Despite being warned multiple times she did not seem to change her behavior. The source also claims that the rope was not a “permanent fixture,” but was placed by the guard's superior after the odd behavior of the woman was brought to his attention.
“This soldier was at the end of his tether and her reaction to the push … she took, like six steps … is ridiculous,” the source said. “The fact that she has stood there [inside the rope] like she didn’t know he was behind her is ridiculous … it appears to be a set-up to make a little video.” The Ministry of Defense soon came forward with a statement in which they advised people to stay on the right side of the rope in order to prevent any mishaps from happening.
“The Household Division is proud to guard Her Majesty and honored that people come from around the world to watch our ceremonial spectacle,” a representative said in the statement made to The Sun. “The ropes are there to protect both the public and our soldiers; please stay behind them."
People on the internet seemed to echo similar thoughts as many thought that the woman was at fault.
"That’s not losing cool. That’s procedure. If you are in the way, over the line, during the patrol, you get moved. If you touch/assault a standing guard. They will protect their post," wrote one, while another added, "Loses cool” while on duty with a loaded weapon and nobody dies. Do they offer international “losing cool while on the job without killing unarmed people” lessons?"