Soldiers from the Queen’s Guard were often spotted at the stationed posts on the exterior of the Royal palaces’ gates in London. Now, however, the guards have been moved behind the fences due to a fear of potential terroristic actions.
Soldiers from the Queen’s Guard stationed outside the Royal Palaces in London have always been a big tourist draw.
Now, however, the guards have been moved behind the fences due to a fear of potential terroristic actions. The Ministry of Defence and the Metropolitan Police have not commented on the matter and have yet to confirm the reason behind the soldiers’ placement.
However news outlets including The Telegraph note that local law enforcement members and Buckingham Palace officials believe the Royal Guards could be a target for militant Islamists. The possible threat could be due to their public stations and the fact that they don’t carry loaded weapons.
Reportedly, some online “chatter” heightened fears that an attack on the guards was forthcoming. A police counter terrorism advisor told The Sunday Mirror “As a target it is incredibly significant for these groups to kill a British soldier in their home country.”
This past summer, the UK’s Home Secretary Theresa May changed the country’s terror threat risk to severe, which is a level up from substantial. In addition to moving behind the gates, armed police officers are now stationed in close proximity to the guards to provide further security.
