Royal guard collapses during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral: How long do they have to stand beside her coffin?

The coffin of   Queen Elizabeth II  is lying in state at Westminster Hall. While thousands of mourners pay their respects to the Queen until her last funeral on Monday, September 19, guards are standing watch beside Her Majesty.

On Wednesday, September 14, the live broadcast of the funeral had to be suspended after one of the royal guards collapsed. The person, wearing a black uniform, began stumbling from their position on the catafalque, but after getting back up and assuming the position, the guard fell forward as the crowd gasped.

Immediately after, nearby guards rushed over to help the guard while other first responders assisted and took the person away.

How long do guards have to stand beside Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin?

The Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division, or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London, are among the group of guards sheltering the coffin. Although the bodyguards will keep a 24-hour vigil, they will rotate every 20 minutes.

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For ten days, the British Royal family and millions of people in the UK could pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II during a meticulously planned ceremonial procession that began in Scotland and concluded in London.

The different funerals packed an ancient tradition that included symbols representing administrative and religious aspects of the British lifestyle and monarchy, as reported by The Washington Post.

Queen Elizabeth, the longest-reigning British monarch, passed away on September 8. She was 96 years old. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

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Born in Mayfair in 1926, Elizabeth was the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth after her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated.

Upon Edward’s abdication in 1936, Elizabeth became the heir presumptive. The Princess acceded to the throne following her father’s death in 1952. Elizabeth was in Kenya at the time of her father’s passing. She returned to the UK as Queen with her coronation taking place over a year later on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey.

In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch and in 2022 she became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service.