A King’s Guard in London is being applauded for acknowledging a young boy who wore a replica uniform during a visit to St James’s Palace in London.
The boy named Frank, who goes by the username @frankthesolider1 on TikTok, is known for showcasing his own version of the uniform, complete with the red jacket and bearskin hats that are usually worn by the guards standing outside of St James’ Palace and Buckingham Palace.
In a viral video from last week, Frank is seen standing to attention outside a gate near St James’ Palace, as the guards walk past holding musical instruments.
Although not all of the guards appeared to pay attention to him, following strict protocol, one in the very back of the procession silently gave the little boy a nod as he would to a fellow soldier, which Frank reciprocated.
The soldiers are famous for maintaining their professionalism, no matter the scenario, as part of their training and protocol. The guards can even be landed with a fine for laughing or smiling, and have to work through all weather conditions.
Another one of the soldiers shared a verbal greeting with Frank, with the video capturing the moment the guard said: “Morning young man.”
The TikTok ended once the guards had walked out of the frame, at which point Frank could be seen standing in disbelief before sharing a thumbs up with his father, who films all of his videos. The video has since been viewed more than five million times.
People in the comments section were quick to praise the King’s Guard for breaking protocol to make the little boy’s day. “I love how they acknowledged him, including the King’s Guard the other day,” one comment read. “They’ve all been that little lad at one point,” another one wrote. “That last nod brought tears to my eyes,” a third viewer said.
This isn’t the first time the soldiers have performed a heartwarming gesture. In July, another member of the King’s Guard was applauded for taking an unexpected step toward a young man with Down Syndrome to help him take a better picture.
In the video posted on TikTok, an unnamed member of the Household Calvary’s Blues and Royals regiment helped Ibrahim and his friend Mike van Erp capture an improved photo by taking one step closer to them, Forces Network reported.
"[Ibrahim] was nervous around the guard, probably because I was being careful to give the soldier space and because the guard has such emphatic body language,” van Erp said.
The gesture has also amassed more than five million views on TikTok and was seen by Major Steve Parker, an official at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where both Prince Harry and Prince William went.
“I am proud to be a member of @HCav1660 (Blues and Royals) every single day but seeing this young Trooper do this has me bursting with Pride. Well done young man, you are a fantastic example of the empathetic, strong young leaders we need in the @BritishArmy,” Parker tweeted after seeing the video.
