Photo: Getty Images
A member of the Royal Guard standing watch beside Queen Elizabeth II's coffin as she lies in state at Westminster Hall collapsed early Thursday (September 15) morning, falling face first to the ground.
The scary moment, which was caught on video and shared by CNN and UK news organization JOE, shows a guard member on the left side of the podium holding a ceremonial staff as he stood guard in front of the Queen's casket. The man began to sway side to side for a brief moment before he fell off the short podium onto the ground, nearby police quickly rushing to his side to help. It is unclear what caused the guard to collapse or if he suffered any injuries in the fall that echoed throughout the quiet chamber.
Another video taken from the BBC stream of the ceremony and shared to TikTok has since garnered nearly 2 million views and shows the guard moments before the fall. In the new clip, the guard member can be seen swaying and even stumbling to the side before returning to his position seconds before he collapses.
The guard reportedly stood back in his position by the casket but was escorted away when he appeared to be swaying again. CNN reached out to Buckingham Palace for a statement but have not received a response as of time of publishing.
The Queen's coffin is guarded 24 hours a day and is lying in state at Westminster until her funeral on September 19, allowing thousands of visitors to make their way to the hall to pay respect to Britain's longest-reigning monarch.