- A viral video shows a member of the Queen’s Guard knocking over a child outside the Tower of London.
- A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Insider the child «unexpectedly» got in the guard’s way.
- Two guardsmen were on routine patrolling duties when the soldier knocked down the child.
A member of the Queen’s Guard was filmed knocking over a child outside the Tower of London in a now viral video, The Daily Mail reported, but a Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Insider it was an accident.
The video, which has over 3.8 million views at the time of reporting, was posted anonymously under the username @user7312510220627 on Wednesday. It shows two foot guards on patrolling duties at the tourist site when one of them knocks the boy down while trying to step over or around him.
The video concluded with the child getting back up. The on-screen text reads, «My sister went to England; first day in.» The caption adds: «Nobody is safe.» Insider was unable to contact the TikTok user.
In a statement obtained by Insider, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said they were «aware of an incident» at the Tower of London during a «routine patrol.»
«The Guardsmen on duty warned members of the public that a patrol was approaching but the child unfortunately ran out in front of the soldier unexpectedly,» the statement said. «The soldier tried to step over the child and continued on his duty.»
The statement added: «Following the incident, the soldier checked on the child and was reassured that all was well.»
The royal-family website says the Queen’s Guard has protected the sovereign and the royal palaces since 1660. While at first glance most foot guards’ uniforms appear the same, they are divided into five regiments with different insignia: the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, and the Welsh Guards.
While the foot guards are widely recognizable by their distinct uniform consisting of bearskin hats and red tunics, the guards in the video were wearing gray coats with white belts, which is standard winter dress for all the guards, according to royal history website The Crown Chronicles.
According to Londontopia, a blog of insights into the capital city, royal protocol dictates that foot guards cannot smile and the public should avoid touching them. In this type of instance, guards are allowed to shout at the public to issue warnings.
