The guard was standing at the foot of the late monarch’s coffin, holding a ceremonial staff, when he suddenly wobbled and fell forward to the floor at around 01:00. Officials rushed to his aid and the live broadcast was interrupted while the guard was checked. A stretcher was quickly brought out, but the unknown soldier managed to get up on his own. After returning his hat and ceremonial staff that had fallen to the floor during his fall, he quickly returned to his seat. However, moments later he swung dramatically again and was pushed away by three staff members. The incident happened on the first night of the Queen’s Lying in State which gives members of the public the chance to pay their respects to the late monarch. Soldiers in ceremonial uniform keep a constant, 24-hour vigil around the Queen’s coffin while she lies in state. The guards must remain completely still at the four corners of the catafalque. While the soldiers rotate every 20 minutes, the hours of being completely still while standing are six hours long. It is not uncommon for members of the military to collapse while on duty. Five soldiers fainted at the National Service of Thanksgiving during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Thousands of mourners continued to line up for miles on Thursday morning to pay their respects to the Queen as she lies in state at Westminster Hall. By 8 a.m. Thursday, the line was about 2.6 miles long and stretched all the way to Borough Market. Want a quick and special update on the biggest news? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out what you need to know…
