Featured Image Credit: ARK Media
Topics: Royal Family, The Queen, Police, London, TikTok
Chelsea Connor
Topics: Royal Family, The Queen, Police, London, TikTok
Police had to intervene after a giggling group of tourists heckled a British soldier who was standing guard in London.
The video that was posted to TikTok showed a group of American tourists filming and trying to get a reaction from a tired looking King's Guard, causing the police to step in to diffuse the giddy group of women.
The excited group of tourists can be seen laughing and goading the solider into smiling while yelling name suggestions at him, in the video which has already garnered over 100k likes since posting.
Advert
Now, If you head down to London and pay either Buckingham Palace or St James's Palace a visit then you'll come across the King's Guards.
They're usually formed from one of the five regiments of foot guards - the Irish Guards, Welsh Guards, Scots Guards, Coldstream Guards and Grenadier Guards - though for a few weeks each year the Royal Air Force Regiment takes on this responsibility.
But there have been repeated issues of tourists getting too close, given the fact the guards have strict protocol to follow.
In the viral clip, the motionless trooper remained professional and stoic in retaliation to the group's constant heckling.
After a few minutes of repetitive jibes from the girls while laughing at the trooper - even screaming after seeing him lick his lips - the police officer stepped forward and clearly explained to the group: "These soldiers serve their country. They take their job seriously. They are responsible for protecting this facility, they are not an object of ridicule.
"Appreciate you are having fun, he's not having fun, he's got a long day, it's a lot of hours he's got to do. It is tiring, it is exhausting, and you are taking the p*** out of him. We do not appreciate that and I will ask you to leave the facility."
The group, who seemed embarrassed after being called out, quickly left the area as onlookers filmed the scene.
Tourists have come into trouble in the past when it comes to Military Guards and invading their space.
Recently a woman from the US was yelled at by a soldier after getting too close to a guard's face while he was standing duty.
Social media commented in praise of the policeman during the interaction, with one posting a comment under the video: "Would they ever do this at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier [in Arlington National Cemetery]? Of course not, so why do they think they can do with our military?"
Another joined in, simply adding: "Officer handled this like a champ."
Kallum, who took the video and posted it online, shared his thoughts with Forces News: "I think it's very disrespectful to come here from abroad and do things like this to people who serve in the British Army.
"I don't think they understand these are fully trained soldiers who have a job to do."