And what's up with their tall, fuzzy hats?
2006-07-15 03:57:12 · 10 answers · asked by Aloofly Goofy 6 in Travel ➔ United Kingdom ➔ London
They have the choice of standing to attention or marching up and down. Guard duty would be pretty intolerable (if not impossible) if they weren't allowed to move. As for bearskin hats I can find no information on their origin, though there was an attempt in the House of Commons to pass a Motion condemning their use as causing unnecessary cruelty. I think that referred to cruelty to bears, not the guardsmen!
2006-07-15 04:10:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nancy Cartwright said that she tried to get a guard to talk, but he wouldn't, then she did her Bart Simpson voice, and was about to walk away when the guard suddenly piped up, "Miss Cartwright!" and they had a chat. Obviously a Simpsons fan! :)
But although the guards are good for tourism, they are soldiers and their primary role is to protect the Queen. They've been doing a good job since 1660.
Bearskin hats are worn by the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, and the Scots Guards, which are just part of their ceremonial uniform, originally worn by regular grenadiers, then officially adopted by the Grenadier Guards regiment of the British Army in the early 19th century, shortly after the Battle of Waterloo victory.
2006-07-15 04:00:16 · answer #2 · answered by Starling 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The guards at Buckingham Palace are expected to hold the military posture of "Attention" at all times, unless the Queen or the flag comes by when they render the salute.
Some tourists think it's screamingly funny to try to get them to move. If they did, however, they'd be subject to punishment. I hope the guilty tourists would be, too, but I never heard. IIRC Natalie Wood tried flashing one, but he didn't budge.
2006-07-15 04:05:19 · answer #3 · answered by Dick Eney 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For goodness' sake delete this question - Scameron and Clogg will see it, and want to outsource the Household Division, some Somali registered company owned by a Russian oligarch will bid for the contract and within six months the job will be done by unsavoury looking Argentinians employed by an offshore entity for a dollar a day, wearing advertising placards on their backs!
2016-03-27 06:19:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe if you hit them with your car they'd move. And their tall, fuzzy hats would fall off in the process. Yeah. That'd be neat.
2006-07-15 03:59:54 · answer #5 · answered by gimmiesomesalt 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They can move, they are people after all.
After hours they are London chimney sweeps - that's where the hats come in handy.
2006-07-15 04:02:40 · answer #6 · answered by Scozbo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they move every 30min or so. what good are gaurds when they can't move unless if you are robbing bukingham you can steel a guard too!
2006-07-15 04:05:12 · answer #7 · answered by triumph 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were stationed to be Dummy
2006-07-15 04:02:26 · answer #8 · answered by shaikhmohdmusa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
can you even amagine not moving for your entire shift
2006-07-15 04:01:20 · answer #9 · answered by boxer lover 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no they can not move no matter what
2006-07-15 04:03:51 · answer #10 · answered by neil b 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋