The Queen's coffin is being guarded 24 hours a day with soldiers rotating every 20 minutes from beside the coffin. In total throughout their shift, they are expected to stand still for six hours.
Guardsmen will have two hours on sentry duty and four hours off. However, do not be surprised if on some occasions you do not see the traditional guardsmen, in their scarlet tunics, particularly in August when other regiments often guard 'The King'.
Traditionally the Queen's Guards are not allowed to move. Typically, a Guardsman spends two hours on duty and four off. He is not expected to stand still for any more than ten minutes at a time.
Security Guards may work long hours both during the day and at night. Security Guards may be assigned work requiring them to stand or walk for extended amounts of time.
No Toilet Break for the Dedicated Soldiers
The Queen's guards are so dedicated to their position that they can't even leave their post for a toilet break during their working shift. They must all have pretty strong bladders!
While standing guard by the Queen's coffin as it lies in state inside Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster, a member of the royal guard collapsed and police rushed to his side.
According to The Independent, they rotate around the coffin every 20 minutes during their six-hour long time in the spotlight. While they do move every few minutes, they are required to stand perfectly still when at their post.
The public kept silently streaming into Westminster Hall even as the queen's four children — Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — stood vigil Friday night around the flag-draped coffin for 15 minutes.
Eight pallbearers who carried Queen Elizabeth II's coffin at her funeral are among those to be recognised in a special honours list. King Charles has honoured scores of royal aides and military personnel for the roles they played during the period of national mourning.
How many days do we get off when the Queen dies? While the UK will partake in a 10-day mourning period, only the day of the Queen's funeral will be considered a national holiday.
This will be "an extraordinary occasion," says Juror. As monarch, the Queen will be given a state funeral, which is expected to take place 12 days after her death.
The first thing that will happen is the guard coming to attention and telling you to step back from the Queen's Guard. If this is ignored or should the person approach or threaten the guard then this is repeated.
Despite the strict regulations, the Royal Guardsmen earn an average of $36,020 per year. Queen's Guard members are not required to be members of the military, but they must uphold the monarchy's traditions in order to do so in this highly regarded role.
The soldiers carrying the Queen's coffin were specially chosen for the role and flew back from Iraq to prepare for the funeral. The late Queen Elizabeth II was Company Commander for the soldiers picked to be pallbearers for the funeral.
The photos are actually the screenshots of the Dutch comedy TV show “The Evening Show with Arjen Lubach.” Arjen Lubach, host of the program, said that the images taken inside the Queen's coffin were from a live broadcast of the BBC Extra Plus channel. However, the BBC does not have any channels called BBC Extra Plus.
Changing of The King's Guard takes place in front of Buckingham Palace at 10:45am and lasts for about 45 minutes. You should arrive early to get the best view. Soldiers gather at St James's Palace and Wellington Barracks from 10:00am and march to Buckingham Palace accompanied by music.
The Queen's casket was topped with flowers picked from the gardens of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Highgrove House. Before the Queen's coffin was lowered into the royal vault in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, a crown, orb and sceptre were removed.
The first women to mount the King's Guard was Captain Cynthia Anderson of Australia's Federation Guard in 2000. She was also the first female to command a Queen's Guard detachment, having led an Australian Federation Guard unit during morning parade.
The Guard's intimidating weapons only have ammo in them when they are aware of a potential serious security threat. The guard on Reddit, who uses the username "nibs123," says that he has never carried a loaded gun as a Guardsman.
The guards at Buckingham Palace and St James Palace are on duty for 24 or 48 hours. During that time a Guardsman will have 2 hours on sentry duty and then 4 hours off.
There are circumstances in which they are allowed to speak…
warnings if they fail to move away or start to act aggressively,” the Reddit guard says. For instance, they're known to yell “make way for the Queen's Guard!” at tourists who get in their way.
Never touch a guard
As London aficionados know by now, one should never touch a member of the Queen's Guard. If this is the case, they are actually allowed to shout warnings at you to make you go away. If people start acting aggressively, the soldiers can even present their bayonets to them.
If a Queen's Guard needs the toilet, they must leave the area to use it. Royal Protocol does not allow for Guards to take toilet breaks while still on duty. Their primary role is to protect the Royal Family, so any request for a break is out of the question.
The service will take place at Westminster Abbey, and a two minute silence will be held across the UK at noon. Most people will therefore get time off from work on the day of Her Majesty's funeral. Shops will close or only be open for reduced hours, while banks will of course also be shut.
Queen Elizabeth II reportedly knew she was dying, here's how she coped in her final days according to royal insider | Marie Claire UK.