Guards of dishonour as troops brawl with Palace footmen in bar
Three Coldstream Guards are being investigated by police after they were reportedly involved in a fight with the Queen’s footmen.
The alleged incident took place outside a London bar near Buckingham Palace and left two royal footmen requiring hospital treatment.
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokeswoman confirmed three guardsmen were being investigated by the Metropolitan Police following an incident on Friday, July 24.
The Coldstream Guards, recognised by their red jackets and black bearskin hats, have a ceremonial role as protectors of Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.
The altercation was said to have happened outside the Greenwood Sports Pub on Victoria Street – about 800 metres from the palace – as a group of royal footmen were attending leaving drinks.
A source claimed a “bit of banter” developed between the footmen and a group of about four soldiers outside the bar about 11.45pm. However, it escalated when a guardsman “grabbed hold” of one of the female footmen, resulting in a male footman stepping in to stop him.
“All of a sudden it was a full-scale punch-up. And the soldiers were more used to fighting than the footmen are. They got quite badly injured,” the source claimed.
One 20-year-old man suffered a fractured eyesocket and another had a fractured jaw and required stitches in his tongue. Two other footmen were less seriously injured.
An MoD spokeswoman said: “We can confirm three guards are being investigated by the Met police following the incident in London on July 24.”
The Coldstream Guards are the oldest continuously serving regiment in the British Army and are based at Victoria Barracks in Windsor, west of London. The unit is well known for its high-profile ceremonial duties.
A Met Police spokeswoman said in a statement: “Police are investigating an assault on Friday, July 24, in Victoria Street, SW1. Two men, aged 20 and 21, were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not life-threatening.”