Bristol: First black royal guardsman speaks of racist abuse (2024)

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Bristol: First black royal guardsman speaks of racist abuse? ›

He told BBC West: "My first and second year were just horrendous, and in fact my first six months to a year during training was probably the worst experience of my life." Mr Stokes described 200 soldiers shouting racial slurs at him when the minibus carrying new trainees pulled up at the Pirbright Camp in Surrey.

Richard G Stokes was the first black man to serve in the Grenadier Guards and the first guardsman in the whole Guards Division. Born on 16 December 1969, Stokes joined the Army in September 1986 as a Junior Leader.

There are regiments of the Brigade of Guards and the Household Cavalry Regiment which make up the Household Division and who usually (but not always) do public duties such as guarding the Royal palaces. And yes, there are many of them who are black.

When The King is in London, the Guard consists of one Officer, one Corporal Major (who carries the Standard), two Non-Commissioned Officers, one Trumpeter and ten Troopers. This is known as a Long Guard. When His Majesty is not resident in London, the Guard is reduced to two Non-Commissioned Officers and ten Troopers.

How many guards are there for Buckingham Palace? How many are on duty at one time? When The Queen is in residence, there are four Foot Guards at the front of the building; when she is away there are two. Altogether the Guard consists of three officers and 36 soldiers.

Smiling is Forbidden

This is because the Queen's guards are expected to display the utmost professionalism, in spite of being a marvel for tourists across the globe. Some rumours have suggested that the guards are fined for smiling; however, this isn't the case.

The Grenadier Guards are one of the most senior infantry regiments in the British Army. Fast and mobile, they specialise in Light Role Infantry operations, often using light vehicles such as quad bikes to get around. They are ready to deploy anywhere in the world at short notice.

The soldiers come from active regiments in the British Army, and any action deemed threatening, regardless of how minor, can cause them to react forcefully. If a member of the public touches them or their horse or invades their space, they are allowed to shout clear verbal commands at them to back off.

They were designed to make the soldiers appear taller and more intimidating. Now, in 2023, these hats are an iconic symbol of the UK, my home that I am proud to serve as a royal guardsman.

The department told Peta that last year it bought 110 bearskin caps at a cost of £145,000. Previous purchases, according to Freedom of Information Act replies, were: 2019: 92 caps, costing £127,440. 2018: 61 caps, costing £76,206.

What are the royal guards not allowed to do? ›

'Standing easy' is not permitted whilst a sentry is at their post. Orders for sentry duty read out before each two-hour 'tour of duty', make it clear that sentries "may not eat, sleep, smoke, stand easy, sit or lie down during [their] tour of duty".

Those guns aren't loaded…

The Guard's intimidating weapons only have ammo in them when they are aware of a potential serious security threat. The guard on Reddit, who uses the username “nibs123,” says that he has never carried a loaded gun as a Guardsman.

They can spend a total of 6 hours a day standing.

After getting an acceptable score on the BARB test, a soldier is ready to join the Queen's Guard. The salary for this job is paid based on a list defined by the British army, with values starting at £20,400 (or around $28,266).

Contrary to popular belief, the members of the Royal Guard are allowed to talk, but only in very specific circ*mstances: if people get too close to them or become aggressive. Oh, side note, try not to get in their way because they'll most likely knock you over!

The King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard. The Yeomen of the Guard at St James's Palace are the original Beefeaters having earned their somewhat jocular nickname since at least the 16th century due to their mighty stature and hearty daily duty-ration which included a large portion of beef ( see Rations ).

The first black man to join an elite regiment that guarded the late Queen says writing a book about his experiences was "a coping mechanism" for the racism he faced. Bristolian Richard Stokes joined the Grenadier Guards in 1986 after encouragement from his adoptive father.

The 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first regiment of African Americans from the North to serve during the Civil War, bravely assaulted Battery Wagner in Charleston Harbor.

The history of the Grenadier Guards stretches back over 360 years since 1656 when a Royal Regiment of Guards was formed by King Charles II at Bruges in Flanders.