Buckingham Palace Guard 'Pirouette' Video under Investigation

W460

A Grenadier Guardsman who was captured on camera apparently dancing pirouettes in front of Buckingham Palace is under investigation, the Army said Wednesday.

A appears to show the soldier marching in a slow, deliberate fashion and performing a sequence of turns, apparently for comic effect, while on duty outside the Queen's official residence.

During the three-minute clip filmed by onlookers, the unidentified soldier appears to stoop down, pick something up and inspect it before continuing his patrol.

When he reaches the sentry box he stops mid-stride with his leg in the air.

The Ministry of Defence said it was seeking to ascertain whether the video was genuine and find out who the soldier was.

An Army spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the video. Anyone who is found to fall short of the Army's high standards can expect to face appropriate action."

Although the video was "lighthearted", it is "not what we would expect from a serving member of personnel", the spokeswoman added.

"If you are on patrol outside Buckingham Palace that is an important job and we do not expect people to be messing around."

The Grenadier Guards, who are responsible for patrolling the Palace grounds, are the most senior infantry regiment in the British Army.

A guard found to be behaving inappropriately while on patrol could face action ranging from a formal warning to dismissal.

The video, which is believed to have been filmed while the Queen was on holiday in Scotland, sparked a mixed response from viewers online, as well as claims that the video was a fake.

One woman, who said her son was a Guardsman, said the soldier had "disgraced his uniform" and should be "severely reprimanded.

But other comments were more forgiving: "It's a harmless bit of fun and entertainment for the crowd. He is still doing his job but showing his human side too."

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