A number of soldiers have been caught on camera collapsing during official events over the past few years. A soldier was spotted being assisted after he seemingly fainted on The Mall during the King's first Trooping the Colour. The man was photographed being helped by other members of the military as well as a police officer. In the picture, the soldier appeared to be supported by the policeman while lying down on the stretcher.
On Saturday afternoon, London temperatures were relatively lower than those experienced over the past few days. Nevertheless, the 22C being felt in central London may have taken a toll on the soldier, particularly when paired with the stress of the day. Just last weekend, as Prince William was reviewing the troops at London's Horse Guards Parade ahead of the event, at least three guardsmen fainted.
The Prince of Wales, who carried out the duty as the honorary colonel of the Welsh guards, issued a statement later acknowledging the "difficult conditions" in which the soldiers undertook the last rehearsal before Trooping the Colour.
Taking to Twitter, the heir to the throne said: "A big thank you to every soldier who took part in the Colonel's Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions but you all did a really good job."
Members of the Welsh guards wear real bearskin hats sourced from Canadian pelts, first introduced after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 with the aim to make soldiers appear taller and more intimidating to the enemy, according to BBC Wildlife.