By Tom Cotterill For Mailonline
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A soldier guarding the King has been blasted for bringing ‘the military into disrepute’ after filming a ‘stupid’ TikTok video of himself gyrating his crotch against his rifle while on duty at Windsor Castle.
The young man ignited fury after saying he was ‘taking the p**s’ outside the royal residence, in a viral clip viewed almost 350,000 times on social media.
In the 20-second video, the soldier – believed to be part of F Company, Scots Guards, which protects some of the Firm’s properties – says: ‘I’m meant to be looking after the Royal Family. Currently staring at two ducks. Do I care? No.’
The clip has outraged Admiral Lord Alan West, the former head of the Royal Navy, who said the guardsman now deserves ‘whatever punishment is thrown at him’.
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The King’s guardsman has found himself in hot water after posting a video ‘taking the p**s’ while protecting the Royal Family at Windsor Castle
Lord Alan West, the former head of the Royal Navy, said the soldier’s actions had brought the military into disrepute
Branding the soldier’s actions as an ‘absolutely stupid bloody thing to do’, the former security minister told MailOnline: ‘He is a stupid idiot. You always get people who are bloody stupid, and clearly he was bored. But this is so stupid.
‘He has brought the Army and military into disrepute. He is one of the King’s bodyguards and he was doing this.
‘He is meant to be guarding the King not filming a video on his phone. It’s an absolutely stupid bloody thing to do. He is a stupid soldier.
‘Once upon time, this would have been a private thing but now with social media it’s all over the world. He deserves whatever punishment the Army is going to throw at him.’
F Company provides royal guards to Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London, with newly qualified combat infantrymen expected to carry out a short tour with the unit.
The soldier’s video is thought to be in breach of professional military standards and could see him facing disciplinary action. However, it is unclear when it was recorded.
His actions have prompted calls for the Ministry of Defence to tighten up its social media training for all young troops joining the forces.
Special forces veteran Phil Campion, who served with Britain’s elite SAS, said the soldier’s video was a ‘silly mistake’ and has called on top brass to improve social media training for young troops joining the services.
He said: ‘This is a young lad doing something stupid and trying to be a bit edgy, making a name for themselves. It’s a mistake anyone can make. You can make an idiot of yourself pretty quickly doing the wrong thing.
The clip was filmed by a royal guard on duty at Windsor Castle, where the King hosted his first family Christmas dinner as monarch last month
SAS veteran Phil Campion branded the guardsman’s video a ‘silly mistake’ and called on better social media training for young troops joining the military
In the video, the soldier says: ‘I’m meant to be looking after the Royal Family. Currently staring at two ducks. Do I care? No’
‘But it’s not funny because of where he is and the gravity of the job he has protecting the Royal Family.’
Speaking of the potential punishment the soldier could receive, retired staff sergeant Phil added: ‘I hope it won’t be too harsh. I hope someone will see sense. That’s no more than a couple of days pay [being docked] and sitting in front of a guardroom.
‘I have a rule to myself because I have fallen foul on social media before – if you have to think about it more than once I don’t post it. With them being the TikTok generations maybe in their basic training there should be 45 minutes spent. People need to understand once you join the Army or the military, things change. There needs to be better education.’
Lord West warned more video leaks from ill-disciplined troops guarding the Royal Family could create a potential security risk.
‘We still get remarkably good young servicemen and women… [but] there’s no doubt that this generation, who have been brought up with social don’t seem to realise the dangers of it,’ he added. ‘They don’t realise what the impact is when they stupidly post something. It’s there for ever.’
The soldier’s video, posted on New Year’s Day, prompted a volley of comments on Twitter, with one user, Calum, writing: ‘How to make yourself really unpopular at work really quick.’
And Ray Poole joked: ‘Plz keep us updated on your career.’
Another said: ‘If it’s legit it’s his last time on post.’
An Army spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an old video being circulated on social media.
‘Soldiers will be held to account where their social media usage contravenes our values and standards, or they bring the Army into disrepute. This applies to all members of the Army, whether on duty, off duty or on leave and may result in administrative or disciplinary action.’
The King pictured recording his first speech as the nation’s monarch last month
The Queen Consort looks serene as she was driven into Windsor Castle on December 20, wrapping up warm in a padded navy jacket, ahead of the annual Christmas lunch
It comes days after the King held the first Christmas meal for the Royal Family at Windsor on December 20.
The family were brought together in the largest reunion since the Queen‘s funeral in September. It was the first time the traditional gathering has taken place since 2019, due to the Covid pandemic.
Dozens of royals attended, with the Queen Consort and Earl and Countess of Wessex among the first to arrive, but notable absentees included Prince Harry and Meghan and their son Archie and daughter Lilibet, who stayed in the US.
The turkey-and-trimmings lunch typically takes place at Buckingham Palace on the Wednesday before Christmas, shortly before the monarch leaves for Sandringham for the festive season.
The Ministry of Defence has been approached for comment by MailOnline.
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