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.
\u201cTemperatures have passed 30C in London today, overwhelming some soldiers who took part in a military parade alongside Prince William\nhttps://t.co/McrUFliY2F\u201d— ITV News (@ITV News) 1686414263
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.
\u201cAt least three British royal guards collapsed on Saturday during a parade rehearsal in London ahead of King Charles' official birthday as summer temperatures hit year-long highs. https://t.co/hRIxjUaDVg\u201d— CBS News (@CBS News) 1686582000
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...
\u201cA big thank you to every solider who took part in the Colonel\u2019s Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions but you all did a really good job. Thank you. W\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
... 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.
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal Given the weather warnings I struggle to understand why it was OK for them to be out in full uniform in the heat, should never t have been put in difficult conditions in the first place.\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@craggs_dj @KensingtonRoyal I am concerned about the action itself but also about the people who celebrate and do not focus their attention on the delicacy of exposing people and animals to acts that put them in danger\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal Is putting the soldiers and horses through that torture just for a birthday celebration even necessary? Can't the funds used for the King's birthday party better be used to help the poor who are seriously struggling under the high inflation?\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal Please issue summer uniforms. It is insane that they wear some of these hot uniforms\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal So many fainted in the heat its terrible .I feel so sorry for them\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal It\u2019s a bizzare situation, hot suits in hot sunny weather standing still for hours - how do they all not faint? How has someone not yet died of heatstroke?\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal Whilst your sentiments are very kind, and I am sure well intended, you are in a prime position to ensure that relevant changes are made e.g. to uniforms, hydration availability etc. that would prevent these poor soldiers succumbing to the heat and fainting.\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal There are other ways to celebrate a birthday!!\nWeather is a big player for outdoor events. Perhaps a change of uniform, placing hydration stations with bottles of water at certain locations, or shortening the ceremony. No matter how celebrations are planned, safety is a must\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal Given the weather conditions, I would have expected common sense to have prevailed and the Review to have been postponed. Life should have more value than a ceremony.\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal Some sympathy and assurance of better provisions for future parades would be apt here.\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
\u201c@KensingtonRoyal I wonder who could not foresee this? It is a parade, a spectacle, a game for the gallery. It does not belong in this day and age to subject soldiers to this.\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686400113
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."
\u201cConducting 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\u2019s conditions.\u201d— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@The Prince and Princess of Wales) 1686411003
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.