This Is What It’s Really Like To Be A Member Of The Queen’s Guard

Serving as a member of the Queen’s Guard – the soldiers who protect the British royal family and their castles and palaces – is undoubtedly a prestigious job. But it doesn’t necessarily seem the most interesting. And yet according to people who have held the position, standing still in a tight uniform and massive fluffy hat for hours on end can sometimes be heaps of fun. So here’s a look at 25 things that suggest that the stately appearance can be a slight façade.

25. They like to play pranks

In 2014 a man who was still employed as a Queen’s Guard offered Reddit users the chance to ask him anything about the job. Under the username nibs123, he revealed several secrets about life on the frontline of Buckingham Palace. And one of the most interesting was that guards like to play practical jokes to help kill some time.

24. Their hats really are made of bearskin

There’s one aspect of the Queen’s Guard uniform certain to get animal rights’ groups in a tizz. For their massive hats are made out of very real bearskin. There have been calls to replace the fur with synthetic material by conservationists. But for now the hats are still very much PETA-unfriendly.

23. They can physically push tourists away

Sometimes tourists can get just a little too close when guardsmen are on duty. In 2015 former RAF engineer Gerry Weatherhead ended up getting pushed out of the way by some marching guards in the Trooping of the Colour. The man had accidentally strayed into their path during a visit to Buckingham Palace.

22. They get paid roughly $2,200 per month

Protecting the Queen outside her Buckingham Palace residence may be a special job but it isn’t exactly a lucrative one. When asked about his salary on the Reddit thread, guard nibs123 disclosed that he earned £1,300 a month (approximately $1,800) in basic pay when he first took on the job. That moved up to £1,600 ($2,200) after several years’ service.