Make Way!

[martin-w 3,238]

17 minutes ago, Fielder said:

 And we still do.

 

Well, no. Not in this respect. Guarding certain individuals, or installations, or restricting certain "freedoms" is obviously important, if we didn't do that we would have total anarchy. You have laws in your nation as all nations do, laws you have to obey. You don't have the freedom to do anything you like, and never have.

In fact, when your presidents visit the UK an enterage of security personel and personal guards come too, along with numerous aircraft. Both abroad and within your nation you employ the concept of "guarding" a person or facility to a degree that makes our attempts look positively tame.

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by martin-w

[vgbaron 3,648]

It's nice to see that she wasn't an American tourist for once. What's the word they use in Yellowstone Park?  Touron - tourist+moron.

 

[charliearon 3,025]

1 minute ago, vgbaron said:

It's nice to see that she wasn't an American tourist for once. What's the word they use in Yellowstone Park?  Touron - tourist+moron.

 

Most of those Tourons get it in the end..literally!  I always root for the Bison!

[vgbaron 3,648]

Just now, charliearon said:

Most of those Tourons get it in the end..literally!  I always root for the Bison!

Amen to that!!  🙂 

[Fielder 3,681]

Of course what Martin said in is last is very true.

 

Also, The Kings Guard does not need all that regalia to protect the King. The display is for another purpose, to interact with the public and present a positive picture. Those citizens who take advantage and interfere are dealt with quite smartly by the guards. The guards aren't cowards demanding protection. They do know how to handle situations. This is how it is and how it should be. The guards want to get close to the public, that is very high on their priorities.

[martin-w 3,238]

6 minutes ago, Fielder said:

Of course what Martin said in is last is very true.

 

Also, The Kings Guard does not need all that regalia to protect the King. The display is for another purpose, to interact with the public and present a positive picture.

 

The regalia is military tradition. They would still don that regalia if there were zero tourists.

As for the guards "wanting" to get close to the public, I'd say that's an assumption that might apply to some of the guardsmen, I wouldn't think all. Having to put if with idiotic behaviour on a regular basis must get annoying.

 

6 minutes ago, Fielder said:

 

 

[DD_Arthur 1,060]

49 minutes ago, Fielder said:

The guards want to get close to the public, 

They really don’t….

41 minutes ago, martin-w said:

They would still don that regalia if there were zero tourists.

They really wouldn’t….

[Fielder 3,681]

I see the guards placidly sitting on their horses, with no objections when tourists pet the nose of their horses, or pose standing near the mounted guards. I've seen that many times in several videos. That is why I believe the guards want to get close to the public. They show no objections. In other words they aren't paranoid.

I believe they wear the regalia to please the public. It surely must be for show. Otherwise I have no clue to as the purpose for dressing up that way.

It is a grand show! Nobody does this stuff nearly as well as the British. The reaction of the British public to the monarchy when they appear in public tells me that all the pomp and circumstance yields a ton of good will towards the monarchy.

I don't think it needs fixing. Except stiffer penalties for the idiots who try to interfere.

[BrianT 54]

8 hours ago, Fielder said:

That is why I believe the guards want to get close to the public. They show no objections. In other words they aren't paranoid.

I believe the guard duty is part of their ceremonial duties. It's not done on a volunteer basis, so when your rotation comes up for it you do it

8 hours ago, Fielder said:

I believe they wear the regalia to please the public. It surely must be for show. Otherwise I have no clue to as the purpose for dressing up that way.

Same as above it's all part of the ceremonial role it is just for show but it's not the individuals choice

8 hours ago, Fielder said:

I don't think it needs fixing. Except stiffer penalties for the idiots who try to interfere.

Totally agree, Police seem far too tolerant of poor behaviour towards these people, I don't think the guards can legaly do anything other than shout at them and this usually get's the nearby plod to come along and ask the offender to politley "go away" definatly not the words I would use 🤐

[DD_Arthur 1,060]

8 hours ago, Fielder said:

It is a grand show! 

Legally, the guards are allowed to use whatever force they deem necessary to protect the royal premises. However, in practical terns you are quite right; it's a show.

The police are there to guard the guards. 

The passers-by are on the public highway. Unless they create a breach of the peace in some form there is little the police can do other than to persuade the occasional looney to move on.

[martin-w 3,238]

15 hours ago, DD_Arthur said:

They really wouldn’t….

 

I say they would. Its tradition. There are a multitude of traditions that still take place with no general public present at all. Its an honor to be chosen for the Kings Guard and that includes being able to don the uniform.

And any member of the Royal Family is going to want such regalia present. 

Edited October 25, 2023 by martin-w

[martin-w 3,238]

9 hours ago, Fielder said:

I see the guards placidly sitting on their horses, with no objections when tourists pet the nose of their horses, or pose standing near the mounted guards. I've seen that many times in several videos. That is why I believe the guards want to get close to the public. 

 

 Of course they don't object, they are disciplined soldiers who just put up with it, remain stoic. It's how they are trained. They obviously aren't going to yell and shout at every tourist that gets close. 

If you did a survey of all the guards then some would say the tourist were a pain and others would say they didn't mind. Its a subjective opinion. 

Edited October 25, 2023 by martin-w

[martin-w 3,238]

48 minutes ago, DD_Arthur said:

However, in practical terns you are quite right; it's a show.

The police are there to guard the guards. 

 

I would say the police are there to augment the guards. They are highly trained combat soldiers. Their weapons contain live rounds and they would indeed go into action if if was deemed necessary. 

 

Quote

The Royal Guard is an ancient order of England’s most trustworthy, dedicated, and highly-trained soldiers sworn to protect the British Monarch at all costs

 

https://www.toolify.ai/ai-news/secrets-of-the-queens-guard-never-mess-with-them-2913

Yes, the passers by are indeed on the public highway, but I see no reason why the public highway couldn't be modified to keep the tourists further back. 

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by martin-w

[DD_Arthur 1,060]

3 hours ago, martin-w said:

They are highly trained combat soldiers. Their weapons contain live rounds 

https://www.toolify.ai/ai-news/secrets-of-the-queens-guard-never-mess-with-them-2913

They are indeed highly trained combat soldiers - which is why its an absurd waste of time to make them put on fancy dress for tourists - but they are very rarely issued with live ammo in public places! 

UK armed forces have no specific unit called 'the Kings guard' they are all members of Guards Regiments; the Scots Guards, the Household Cavalry, etc.  They undertake these duties on a rotation basis. Their day jobs are either armoured regiments or mechanised infantry.

Did you know the French army and indeed the Red Army has Guards Regiments?

That website is obviously written by idiots for idiots. There are much better sources of info out there.....

[martin-w 3,238]

38 minutes ago, DD_Arthur said:

but they are very rarely issued with live ammo in public places! 

 

There was an incident a few years ago, where one of the guards held his weapon at the ready. I recall that a bomb went off nearby. It depends on the national threat level. If the level is high enough then their weapons' are indeed loaded. If not, then the rounds are kept within close proximity. 

 

38 minutes ago, DD_Arthur said:

which is why its an absurd waste of time to make them put on fancy dress for tourists

 

Again... not just for tourists. The king or a member of the royal family fully expect traditions to be upheld. And as said, the weapons' are either loaded or the ammunition nearby, usually the guard house I understand. So the ammunition is there if they need it.

Incidentally, they don't just act as sentries during the day, but they actively patrol the grounds at night. 

Not that I'm a fan of the royal family or such traditions, I regard myself as agnostic in this respect. 

Apparently more and more of the sentry posts have been moved away from the public, due to incidents.

 

Quote

Although the guards were previously positioned among the public, in recent times,^[when?] more and more of the sentry posts have been moved away from the public because of incidents involving tourists interfering with the guards' job, as well as incidents where the guards have had to discipline tourists for disrespectful or dangerous behaviour. In 2012, footage of a tourist disrespecting the guards went viral, in which a Russian tourist refused to stop their attempt at climbing the Buckingham Palace fence despite the guard aiming his SA80 rifle at the would-be intruder.^[6] Most recently, ropes were installed between the sentry posts at Windsor Castle and the public after an incident occurred between a sentry and a tourist who was mocking him, pretending to march alongside him and eventually grabbing the shoulder on which his rifle was resting.^[7][8]

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Guard

Edited October 25, 2023 by martin-w