It's reported that the decision to wear the chained strap for these headpieces under the lip comes from when soldiers actually fought while wearing them. If a soldier was shot, the heavy hat could fall backwards and cause the soldier's neck to break if they were wearing a chin strap.
The Strap Style Is Meant For Protection
The Grenadier Guards that are seen at royal residences and participating in official ceremonies have a unique way of wearing their impressive and statuesque headwear — the strap for the hat is placed under the bottom lip instead of under the chin (via City Wonders).
That's because the bearskin is stretched over a basket-like framework to which an adjustable leather skullcap and chin strap are attached for a secure fit. Wearers say the caps are quite comfortable, being both light and cool.
It was thought that the 19-inch tall caps would make soldiers look taller and more intimidating to their enemies. To commemorate their war victory, the hats were introduced to the soldiers guarding royal residences, where they continue to be used today.
Yes - those tall caps are made of real bear fur. And it's causing controversy. The sight of a member of the King's Guard standing on ceremony outside Buckingham Palace, sporting that immaculate red-and-black uniform and tall bearskin cap, is an iconic sight of London.
The hats are worn by members of the five regiments — the Grenadier, Welsh, Irish, Scots and Coldstream Guards — who protect Buckingham Palace and other royal sites. The bearskin hats cost $1,218, and can last 20 to 40 years through wind, rain and sun exposure. The army said bears are not killed expressly for their fur.
It's reported that the decision to wear the chained strap for these headpieces under the lip comes from when soldiers actually fought while wearing them. If a soldier was shot, the heavy hat could fall backward and cause the soldier's neck to break if they were wearing a chin strap.
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.
It's reported that the decision to wear the chained strap for these headpieces under the lip comes from when soldiers actually fought while wearing them. If a soldier was shot, the heavy hat could fall backwards and cause the soldier's neck to break if they were wearing a chin strap.
The first black man to join an elite regiment that guarded the late Queen says writing a book about his experiences was "a coping mechanism" for the racism he faced. Bristolian Richard Stokes joined the Grenadier Guards in 1986 after encouragement from his adoptive father.
Approximately one bear is used to make one hat! To supply these hats, Canadian bears are legally shot or trapped in foot snares across the provinces. What makes these bear killings extremely cruel is that bears who are shot and escape die painfully from blood loss, starvation or infection.
For each of the caps worn by the King's Guard, a bear is cruelly killed by being shot or ensnared, sometimes for days, in a painful trap – and British people, a good 95% of whom object to killing animals for fur, are unwittingly paying for it through their taxes.
a busby is a kind of hat; a bearskin is a bear's family.
Answer: It is regimental traditional as different regiments tend to wear the bearskin hat differently. The Blue royals will wear it under their chin and the Lifeguards will wear it underneath the lip. Individual regiments tweak the way they wear the hat in order to distinguish them from the other regiments.
Etymology. Possibly the name's original sense of a "busby wig" came from association with Richard Busby, headmaster of Westminster School in the late seventeenth century; the phrase buzz wig may have supplied the derivation for busby.
In the past, the height of the Bearskin was based on the height of the soldier (for example Army Dress Regulations 1934 - para 683 provides different measurements based on the Officer's height).
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.
Dressed in their distinctive Tudor uniforms of red, white and yellow, The Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard has a ceremonial role in many Royal events.
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. Every so often, he will march up and down in front of his sentry box, rather like a policeman "walking the beat".
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.
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.
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.
Today, there are 5 regiments and each one has a special coloured feather plume in their bearskin to distinguish their regiment. Prince William is part of the Irish regiment, whose bearskins have a blue plume (below, right).
The white plume on the side of the headdress is a symbol of the Grenadiers. The tradition of wearing bearskins on ceremonial occasions and for guard duty continues to this day. These headdresses are made with real bearskins. Each hat is 18 inches (46 cm) tall, and weighs 1.5 pounds (.
The standard Bearskin worn on parade by a guardsman is 18 inches tall and weighs one and a half pounds. The addition of the item on top of a soldier's head makes the person under it look a lot bigger and indeed, this was precisely what early Bearskin hats were designed to achieve.