The child was knocked to the ground during the incident. Photo / Getty Images
The child was knocked to the ground during the incident. Photo / Getty Images
A member of the Queen's Guard knocked a child to the ground after he stepped into the guard's path while on duty at the Tower of London.
Footage that was shared on social media, shows the child in the crowd standing with a group of tourists and taking photos of the two guardsmen who were marching across the grounds.
The child walks out into the path of the soldier who immediately shouts: "Make way!" however it is to no avail as the child is then knocked to the ground after not moving fast enough.
The guardsman then tries to step over the child who is now on the ground and carries on past the group of tourists and the child's mother.
After the incident, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told the Daily Mail: "We are aware of an incident at the Tower of London earlier today during a routine patrol.
"The Guardsmen on duty warned members of the public that a patrol was approaching but the child, unfortunately, ran out in front of the soldier unexpectedly.
The child failed to move out of the guard's way in time. Photo / TikTok
"The soldier tried to step over the child and continued on his duty.
"Following the incident, the soldier checked on the child and was reassured that all was well."
The video went viral on TikTok with the poster captioning the scenes: "My sister went to England, first day in."
And users of the social media platform were undecided as to who was at fault. The parent? Or the guard?
One user wrote: "Just no need for this."
Another commented: "People think these guys are just decorative. They're real troops with real orders."
Another added: "Why can't we change the rules so that the guards can just walk around people? I'm sure the answer is 'tradition' but who really cares."
The Queen's Guard is charged with protecting the official royal residences across the UK.
Watching the changing of the guard is a popular tourist attraction with many coming to see the guards in their distinctive tunics and bearskin hats.
The guards are fully trained, serving soldiers with more than 350 years of history and have defended monarchs since Charles II.
The guidelines for the guardsmen in dealing with obstacles include stamping their feet and shouting, with raising a rifle being considered a "final warning", after which the guardsman is allowed to detain the person.
