Early on Thursday morning, a royal guard watching the Queen’s casket unexpectedly passed out in front of it.
Videos that have been making the rounds on Twitter and TikTok capture the moment a royal guard—dressed all in black—fell into the Westminster Hall floor as the monarch lay in state for visitors to pay their respects.
The monarch, who had ruled the UK for 70 years, passed away peacefully at Balmoral on September 8. She was 96.
The guard, holding a staff, seemed to slip while standing on the crimson platform displaying the Queen’s casket and lose his balance minutes before collapsing in a video posted by TikTok user @bg 8910, which has had over 1.6 million views as of Thursday.
Then it seems like officers are rushing to help him.
The video making the rounds on social media was obtained from a live feed that abruptly ended at 12:30 a.m. local time in the UK when the guard passed asleep.
What happened afterwards or what caused the collapse are both unknown.
Units from the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division, and Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London are manning the Queen’s casket hour by hour. It is open to the public 24 hours a day until her funeral on Monday.
Palace soldiers must work shifts that can last up to six hours while revolving around the monarch’s coffin while standing completely still.
Since the Queen’s casket was removed from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, it appears that the guard was not the only person to pass out.
The Queen’s cousin, Lady Gabriella Windsor, passed out as the monarch’s casket arrived in Westminster Hall, causing a little uproar.
She reportedly disappeared during the celebration and was absent in the extended royal family picture.