Last Thursday, September 8, news shook the entire world: at the age of 96 and following seven decades on the throne, the Queen isabel II. The event made international headlines at the same time as the United Kingdom dressed in mourning. Almost a week later, the body of the monarch – who was in Scotland at the time of her death – arrived in London on Tuesday, where a procession was held on Wednesday that culminated in the Palace of Westminster. In the middle of the beginning of what will be a four-day wake, a royal soldier lost consciousness while standing guard next to the coffin in an event that was recorded in a shocking video.
After weeks of uncertainty and concern for the queen’s health, last Thursday from the Buckingham Palace They confirmed that he had died. To the pain of the news was added the complication of the context: his death coincided with an official visit to Scotland, which involved a complex transfer protocol.
Finally, On September 14, the coffin arrived in London, where it was received by his son and successor, the king charles iii. Once in the English capital, a procession was held from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, in what was the first major event in his honor. It is there where a burning chapel was installed – more precisely in the Westminster Hall– where regarding 400 thousand people will pass, in what will be a wake that will last until Monday, the day on which the state funeral will take place.
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According to protocol and tradition, several guards are placed around the coffin. This Wednesday, during the first day of the wake, one of them was involved in an incident. As might be seen in a video, the man belonging to the Royal Company of Archers began to stagger until he collapsed, hitting his face on the ground, This despite the attempts of his partner, who tried to support him without abandoning his position. Quickly, two policemen approached him to help him.
The networks echoed the episode and, in a matter of minutes, the footage became the center of debate as users theorized regarding the reason for the decompensation.
Charlie Proctor, correspondent for the royal family and editor-in-chief of Royal Central, reported through his Twitter account that, due to the fall, they put on pause the entry of people to the place where the burning chapel is. Minutes later he detailed: “The guard is receiving medical attention. In the meantime, a rotation of the guard has taken place and the public can now continue to walk alongside the queen.”
Although the reason for the decompensation was not known, the journalist clarified that measures were taken to avoid similar events. “If one of the guards feels unwell during the vigil, he has been told to raise his head (by tradition, everyone must keep their eyes on the ground). This will alert the higher guard and a rotation will take place,” he explained alongside a video showing the change of soldiers. For now, no other event has emerged that has interrupted the ceremony.
