15 Secrets Dont les Gardes de la Reine n'Aiment Pas Parler!
Transcript
00:00 Hello everyone! When we mention the most famous soldiers in the world, we immediately think of the individuals
00:05 undisturbed in red uniforms wearing funny fur hats. This royal guard has existed for hundreds of years
00:12 and today we can see it accomplish ceremonial tasks at the Burkingham Palace, at the Tower of London and in other places.
00:20 But the guard's duty and the protection of the Queen are not the only tasks of these soldiers.
00:24 They often participate in military operations, train constantly and execute the royal family's special orders.
00:31 Unsurprisingly, these discreet men keep many secrets in their service.
00:35 Today, we will tell you in more detail about their life and their discipline,
00:38 so that you never forget to get in the way of these guards. Let's go!
00:43 It is not necessary to visit London to get an approximate idea of the guards who protect the Queen.
00:51 For most tourists, these guys are just pretty mobile dogs, perfect for taking some selfies for Instagram.
00:58 But we must not underestimate the elite of the British royal guards.
01:01 In fact, they are all well-trained soldiers who have previously served in the British Special Forces or other special forces.
01:08 Over the past decades, these soldiers have participated in military operations in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan,
01:15 where they wore a more appropriate uniform of course.
01:17 Even ordinary sentries are not as banal as you think. The weapons they hold in their hands are not only for show.
01:24 These soldiers hold real guns loaded with real bullets and ready to fire.
01:28 The guard is ready to use his weapon at any time if the Queen or his entourage are in danger.
01:33 The life of an elite soldier is not easy. They undergo regular training,
01:37 follow a special diet, go to dangerous places and live in barracks.
01:42 If someone decides to take care of these guys, he can be sure that they will be rewarded.
01:46 You probably noticed that there is not a single girl among the famous soldiers in red uniforms.
01:52 It's not that women are not capable of such a service.
01:55 But the life of guards was originally designed for robust guys, ready to participate in hostilities.
02:01 As a result, it is therefore rather surprising that some women managed to make a career in the Royal Guard.
02:06 In July 2017, Meghan Couto became the first female captain of the head of 40 Royal Guards of Canada.
02:13 A year earlier, the United Kingdom had officially authorized women to participate in combat operations in a limited measure.
02:20 Until then, they simply could not acquire enough experience to qualify for the post of Royal Guard.
02:27 North Korea and its southern neighbor also have many girls serving in the army, occupying a wide variety of positions.
02:33 However, in these countries, due to the constant threat of war between these two neighboring peoples,
02:38 women soldiers are faced with much more difficult tasks.
02:41 In the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and South Korea, women serve on an equal footing with men,
02:47 so that they learn from the first days how to act and survive in the event of a real war.
02:53 After all, no need to have big muscles and a well-marked chin to be a good shooter.
02:58 The first thing you notice when looking at a guard is his huge fur coat.
03:02 It measures 40 cm high and weighs about 2.5 kg.
03:05 This fur partially covers the eyes and the entire structure considerably limits the mobility of the soldier's head.
03:11 Surprisingly, someone thought that this uncomfortable cap would be a good choice for an elite guard.
03:16 It turns out that this cap has a very interesting long history.
03:20 During the Battle of Waterloo, decisive in the fight against the reign of Napoleon,
03:24 the famous French commander sent his best grenadiers of guards against the British 1st Infantry Division.
03:31 Grenadier guards were Napoleon's personal bodyguards and were among the best soldiers in Europe.
03:36 They wore bear skins to intimidate their opponents.
03:39 The British defeated the enemy and won their caps as a trophy.
03:44 Since then, royal guards have been forced to constantly wear these embarrassing hats to remember their victory.
03:49 Moreover, they are always made from the skin of a real Canadian black bear.
03:53 For ethical reasons, the Association of Animal Defense has been trying to ban this tradition since the late 1990s,
04:00 but without success so far.
04:01 Let's hope the guards will have mercy on the poor bears and replace their fur with synthetic materials.
04:07 If you try to chat with a royal family guard or ask him a question, wait for absolute silence.
04:13 Regardless of the determination with which tourists try to question soldiers about their lives,
04:17 there is little chance that they will answer them,
04:20 although there is a theory that says that guards of certain palaces are allowed to speak.
04:24 In fact, if the soldiers are silent, it is not because they are insensitive.
04:28 It is because of the strict discipline and hardness of the British Armed Forces guards.
04:33 The guard at the post does not have the right to interact with anyone, to lean, to sit, to sleep, to eat, to smoke, and even to leave the service area.
04:41 You have to be mentally resilient to remain motionless for several hours under a sun of lead or a beating rain.
04:47 Given the heaviness of the cap and the uniform, the task becomes almost impossible for an average person.
04:52 There are similar rules in the troops of many countries,
04:55 but it is only in the Royal Guard of Great Britain that the rules have remained unchanged to this day.
05:01 Behind the red uniform hides an ordinary human being, and not a soulless robot.
05:06 So even the guards can sometimes show some emotion.
05:09 This girl approached her brother who had recently become a Royal Guard.
05:14 It is difficult for a child to understand all the subtleties of the army regulations.
05:19 So she clung to him and held his hand.
05:22 The young soldier, of course, could not ignore his sister's affectionate demonstration and clenched his palm visibly.
05:29 If there had not been a documentary shoot, the career of this guard could have been threatened.
05:33 The regulations provide a wide range of punishments in the event of a violation of the regulations.
05:37 They are severe for one reason.
05:38 If today a soldier begins to discuss with passers-by, he could be led to reveal a state secret to his enemies tomorrow.
05:45 Perhaps some of these guys do not hesitate to chat during the service,
05:49 but having to pay a fine will gradually reduce their desire to debate the health of the queen.
05:54 Royal Guards have been watching the monarch's chambers since the middle of the 17th century.
05:59 It seems that during this period, they had to push intruders at least twice.
06:04 But in reality, few sane people decided to enter the royal premises.
06:08 One of the most famous cases occurred in 1982.
06:12 A certain Michael Fagan managed to enter the Buckingham Palace twice.
06:16 How did he do it?
06:17 He entered it by pretending to be a tourist and climbed an evacuation pipe to reach the bedroom.
06:24 During his first infraction, Fagan frightened a woman in the bedroom,
06:27 crossed the corridors with paintings, drank half a bottle of wine,
06:30 and disappeared discreetly before the guards came to arrest him.
06:34 A week later, taking the same path for the second time,
06:37 he met the Royal Valet, who offered him a glass and held it until the police arrived.
06:42 It is amazing to see how Fagan managed to deceive the guards twice without being noticed.
06:46 Wasn't the queen's chamber as well guarded as we thought?
06:50 One of the most impressive traditions of the royal guard is the guard's relay.
06:54 This remarkable ceremony takes place once a day and takes place from 10 am.
06:59 Officially, the deployment of soldiers is simply a relay of its functions,
07:02 but the whole process is accompanied by an orchestra,
07:05 and the soldiers parade by displaying their synchronized maneuvers.
07:09 If the Buckingham Palace guard's relay seems too commonplace to you,
07:13 this is what it looks like at the Indo-Pakistani border.
07:16 It seems that these soldiers have watched too many Bollywood movies
07:19 and have decided to make this military ritual a real show.
07:23 What is interesting is that even Pakistani soldiers participate in this very original show,
07:29 although the two countries are still in conflict.
07:31 This is how the love of dance united the two nations at war.
07:35 In South Korea, the royal guard is no longer in charge of protection tasks,
07:38 but they decided to preserve the tradition of the guard's relay for tourists.
07:43 The soldiers are dressed in national costumes and hold the banners of the provinces.
07:47 Perhaps if they watched Indian films more often, the ceremony would have been much more fun.
07:52 Let's go back to the British Royal Guard.
07:55 Have you ever stayed still for long minutes in a heat of around 40 degrees?
08:00 Now, imagine that at that moment, you are wearing a bear skin cap,
08:04 a woolen pants and a very thick uniform.
08:07 No wonder the Royal Guards often faint.
08:10 But most often, this does not happen during the service near castles and palaces,
08:14 where the soldiers only stand for two hours, but during long parades.
08:18 Even the most chivalrous guards are sometimes the victims of discomfort.
08:22 The guards are so disciplined that they do not break their position and do not call for help,
08:27 even if they feel bad.
08:28 For them, fainting and falling to the ground would be less shameful.
08:32 Their colleagues-guards will not react and will continue to stand.
08:36 The unfortunate one will have to wait for the Royal doctors to come and get him with a cigarette.
08:41 Everyone knows that Great Britain is the largest colonial empire in history.
08:46 Even Australia is still considered an independent territory of the United Kingdom.
08:50 So you shouldn't be surprised if you happen to meet a guy in a red uniform
08:54 who doesn't look like a British.
08:56 The Royal Guard has units in many countries.
08:59 The Royal Canadian Regiment, founded in 1883,
09:02 is considered the largest and the best in terms of training.
09:06 As for its structure and traditions, it is practically identical to the British division.
09:11 And some of the Canadian soldiers are even based in London.
09:14 There is also a Royal Regiment in Malaysia.
09:17 Often, some of these troops arrive during celebrations in England.
09:21 Of course, the Malay Regiment does not look like the British Regiment to which we are accustomed.
09:26 But it is no less prepared for combat.
09:29 And here are the Jamaican guards during the military parade that took place every year on July 31.
09:35 Except for a raw ground and a lack of palaces, the ceremony is about the same as in Europe.
09:41 You have probably already seen on the Internet how some guys confronted
09:45 try to make a guard laugh with a joke full of spirit.
09:48 The Queen's guard could not have the right to move the corner of his mouth if this joke was really ...
09:54 Of course, he has the right.
09:56 But he will be punished for this.
09:58 If the captain notices a violation of discipline,
10:00 he can retain a weekly sum on the payment of the culprit,
10:03 about $ 400.
10:05 The old saying makes perfect sense.
10:07 Silence is gold.
10:09 The Queen's personal guard must always be impeccable, like the Queen herself.
10:14 To achieve this, only the best materials are used to make the uniforms.
10:18 All parts of the uniform are made by hand.
10:21 And before that, 23 measurements are taken on each soldier,
10:25 so that the uniform is perfectly adjusted and does not interfere with the service.
10:29 The red is a symbol of victory and a tribute to the soldiers who fought Napoleon during the Battle of Waterloo.
10:35 The gray uniform is also part of the guards' clothes.
10:38 A thick wool coat is generally worn in cold and rainy weather in autumn and winter.
10:44 It allows the guards of the royal family to feel good, whatever the temperature.
10:48 If you have always wanted to see what a guard's uniform would look like in another color,
10:52 just look at these Thai soldiers.
10:54 It looks like the English infantry accidentally fell into a tank full of all kinds of colors.
10:59 As you understand, the Thai Royal Infantry also emphasizes its link with Great Britain.
11:04 But it does so with more expression compared to the soldiers of other divisions.
11:08 They have a pink, white and yellow uniform.
11:11 And also funny caps, which look more like a daydream.
11:14 Everyone will find a uniform to their liking.
11:17 Do you remember those spy movies where the protected personality is often designated by his code name?
11:22 In an interview with journalists, the Royal Aid declared that the bodyguards and the guards of Queen Elizabeth call him Sharon.
11:29 Or simply "S" to keep the secret.
11:31 We admit that we would also be a little embarrassed to call the 94-year-old queen Sharon.
11:36 But you have to do it to keep the secret.
11:38 Speaking of which, the guards call Prince William and Kate Middleton respectively,
11:43 Danny Collins and Daphne Clark.
11:46 We really wonder how the intelligence agents find these funny code names.
11:51 Do you think animals can't serve in the army?
11:54 And even less in the royal army?
11:55 In fact, they can.
11:57 This belly called Derby XXX was the official mascot,
12:00 or if you prefer, the totem animal of the Mercian regiment of the British army.
12:04 In addition, he obtained the rank of "Supplementary Corporal",
12:08 received several medals,
12:09 and entered the Guinness Book of Records,
12:12 met members of the royal family,
12:15 and even participated in a peacekeeping mission.
12:18 If you think this animal's life is more interesting than yours, you're mistaken.
12:21 The military decided to procure a belly after forming a military football team.
12:26 The animal did so well that the officers decided to promote it several times.
12:31 Unfortunately, in 2015, the belly died suddenly because of an infection.
12:36 The regiment has however acquired a new belly of the same breed.
12:39 It could be able to reach higher ranks and even become an officer.
12:43 [Music]