Another extreme heat wave is creeping into London, and for some royal guards dressed in wool tunics and bearskin hats the temperature was too hot to handle.
At least three royal guard members collapsed during rehearsal for King Charles' birthday parade—also referred to as The Trooping of the Colour—as temperatures soared to 30ºC (86ºF).
Footage of one of the collapsed soldiers being escorted from the practice can be seen below.
Another video shows three of the soldiers who collapsed from the heat being attended to while the rest of the rehearsal carries on literally without skipping a beat.
The rehearsal for the event set to take place on June 17 marked the first time the Household Division and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery comprised of more than 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians were reviewed by Prince William, the honorary Colonel of the Welsh Guards.
And while the prince did acknowledge the hard work and dedication displayed by the soldiers...
... many on social media expressed their concern for the soldiers being forced to practice under such strenuous conditions, noting their safety should be better prioritized.
The Prince of Wales later echoed his prior tweet, commending "all involved."
"Conducting the Colonel's Review of the King's Birthday Parade today."
"The hard work and preparation that goes into an event like this is a credit to all involved, especially in today's conditions."
We certainly hope for the soldiers' well-being that the heat dwindles a bit before June 17, but as of now, the high temperatures are forecasted to extend into next week.
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