A royal guard collapsed in front of the Queen's coffin while standing watch over it
- A royal guard keeping watch over Queen Elizabeth II's coffin collapsed in front of it.
- Videos of the moment show the guard, wearing all black, falling forward onto the stone floor.
A royal guard standing watch over the Queen's coffin suddenly collapsed in front of it during the early hours of Thursday morning.
Videos circulating on TikTok and Twitter show the moment a royal guard, dressed in all black, fell forward onto the concrete stone floor at Westminster Hall where Queen Elizabeth II is lying in state for members of the public to pay their tributes.
The monarch died peacefully at Balmoral on September 8 after 70 years on the UK throne. She was 96.
In a clip shared by TikTok user @bg_8910, which has over 1.6 million views as of Thursday, the guard, who was carrying a staff, appeared to stumble while standing on the red platform showcasing the Queen's casket and lose his balance minutes before collapsing.
Officers then appear to rush to his aid.
According to The Telegraph, the footage circulating on social media was taken from a BBC live stream that cut out following the guard's collapse at 12:30 a.m. local time in the UK.
It's unclear what occurred next or what led to the collapse. Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The Telegraph added that the Queen's coffin is being guarded hour by hour by units from the Sovereign's Bodyguard, the Household Division, and Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London. It's available for the public to visit 24 hours a day until her funeral on Monday, according to the UK Government website.
Palace soldiers are tasked with carrying out shifts lasting as long as six hours, which involve them standing totally still and rotating around the monarch's coffin, The Independent reported.
The guard was apparently not the only person to collapse since the Queen's coffin was moved from Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.
According to Hello! magazine, Lady Gabriella Windsor, the Queen's cousin, fainted as the monarch's coffin arrived at Westminster Hall, causing a small commotion.
The publication reported that she wasn't seen again during the event and was absent from a family photo taken of the extended royal family.
Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment regarding Windsor.