12 Things You Never Knew About the Queen’s Guard

Have they met the Queen? What do they do when they get bored? Here's everything you ever wanted to know about the stoic soldiers that guard Her Majesty.

Editor’s note: Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who sat on the throne for 70 years, has died at 96 years old. In a statement on Sept. 8, 2022, the Royal Family website writes, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” The Reader’s Digest team sends condolences to the royal family and all of Britain at this time as we honor her life and legacy. 

The British royal family has captured the curiosity of many people, British and otherwise, and they raise lots of questions. (And we’ve got answers to many of them: How much is each royal worth? Do they have jobs?) However, there’s another group of people that spends a lot of time around Buckingham Palace, and while far less high-profile, they might be just as fascinating. The notoriously still and stoic Queen’s Guardsmen (and women) also raise a lot of questions. Luckily, a Reddit.com Q-and-A with a working guardsman set out to answer them. From hats to hot weather, here are the 12 most interesting things we learned.

Those guns aren’t loaded…usually

The Guard’s intimidating weapons only have ammo in them when they are aware of a potential serious security threat. The guard on Reddit, who uses the username “nibs123,” says that he has never carried a loaded gun as a Guardsman. Can you guess the highest-paying job working for the royal family?

There’s a freaky reason they wear those hats

Almost as intimidating as the screen name “nibs123” are the fluffy black hats that the Guard wears. OK, yeah, they’re not all that intimidating. But apparently, in “the old days,” the hats were considered intimidating. Also, the hats’ chinstraps are fastened under their noses in case of attack: cavalry soldiers would aim for the head. The placing of the strap ensures that “the hat would come off if hit without breaking our necks.” Delightful. Here’s a timeline of the Queen’s craziest hats.

Also, they’re HEAVY

According to the Redditor, the hats weigh “about two to four kilograms.” In pounds, that becomes…four and a half to nearly nine pounds! As if that weren’t enough, the hat is “heavier if it gets wet.” Yikes!

Some bears were harmed in the making of the hats

Those hats look so furry because…they’re made from real bear fur. The Redditor says that they did try the more humane option of “synthetic” furs, but the colors ran too easily. However, that doesn’t mean guard-hat-makers are massacring bears on the daily. “We only get new [hats] if the old ones are too far gone to repair,” the Redditor says. And, apparently, that takes quite a while; his hat is from 1968. Learn about more unusual royal traditions.

You have to pass a test

How difficult is it to become a member of the Queen’s Guard? Since the Guard is basically a military organization, candidates have to pass the BARB, the British Army Recruit Battery test. According to the Redditor, the BARB tests your “basic logic and smarts.” The other requirement he mentions? “You must be tall.”

There are circumstances in which they are allowed to speak…

…but you probably don’t want to be on the receiving end. Guards “are allowed to get [people] away by shouting…warnings if they fail to move away or start to act aggressively,” the Reddit guard says. For instance, they’re known to yell “make way for the Queen’s Guard!” at tourists who get in their way. He finds shouting this to be a fun part of the job. Speaking of not speaking, here are the words you’ll never hear the royal family say.

They get bored

Yes, standing there for hours on end does get tedious. “I tend to sing songs in my head or try to remember…a movie from start to finish in my head,” says the Redditor guard. “I’ve gotten pretty good at that.” Sometimes he’ll even try to photobomb tourists (while maintaining his professional demeanor, of course). “Also, sometimes I just people watch, since they’re doing it to me.” Seems fair.

They don’t like it when you imitate their walk

One of the most iconic traits of the Guard is their strut-march combo of a walk, and many tourists try to imitate it. According to the Redditor, they usually fail: “A lot of people try to mock the way we march by doing it all wrong, which is sometimes annoying.”

Standing still for that long carries a serious health risk

Some people think the guards aren’t allowed to move at all, but that’s not true; in fact, moving is pretty much mandatory. The only movements they’re allowed during their regular shift are to “turn to the left, march about 10 paces, turn around, and go back to standing still,” says the Redditor. “It’s best to do this every 10 minutes or so to stop yourself from fainting from the blood that gets trapped in your legs.”

They hate the hot weather, but not for the reason you think

The “stay still” rule is so strict that guards aren’t even allowed to wipe their sweat away. If the heat is especially brutal, people will sometimes come from inside and bring them something to drink. However, our Redditor’s least favorite thing about the heat? “The drill boots’ polish melts in direct heavy sunlight and we have to redo them.”

They’ve chatted with Queen Elizabeth II

While the Reddit guard admits that the novelty of meeting important people does tend to wear off, he still remembers his first meeting with Her Majesty. “When I was on guard at Windsor Castle, she came up to me with her husband and the dogs and asked me some questions. She’s really nice.” If it were us, we’d be gushing over the dogs just as much as the queen. Here’s why the queen loves corgis so much (other than just…what’s not to love).

Yes, they laugh sometimes

Well, at least our Redditor friend does. “I try not to, but sometimes you just can’t help it; some people are just too funny.” For more royal humor, check out the funniest royal family moments, in photos.

Meghan Jones
Meghan Jones is a word nerd who has been writing for RD.com since 2017. You can find her byline on pieces about grammar, fun facts, the meanings of various head-scratching words and phrases, and more. Meghan graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2017; her creative nonfiction piece “Anticipation” was published in the Spring 2017 issue of Angles literary magazine.