VIDEO: Royal guard protecting Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin collapses at Westminster Hall

Gulf Today Report

A royal guard protecting Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin collapsed at Westminster Hall on Thursday.

Footage from the live stream shows the incident happened around 1am Thursday.

The guard was standing at the foot of the late monarch's coffin when he suddenly fell to the ground with a clicking noise.

The guard in black held a ceremonial staff as he fell.

With the former monarch lying in state in Westminster Hall for the public to pay homage, soldiers in ceremonial uniform are on permanent watch, 24 hours a day.

Soldiers are required to stand completely still at all four corners of the catafalque.

The guards, drawn from units such as the Sovereign's Bodyguard, the Household Division and the Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London, rotate around the coffin every 20 minutes, while each guard's total shift lasts six hours.

Several nearby officials could be seen rushing to his aid during the BBC live broadcast lying-in-state on Youtube was quickly suspended, instead showing a building exterior for a short time.

It is not yet known if the guard was injured.

The incident also sparked concern on social media from those watching in the wee hours.

The Queen's coffin reached Westminster Hall on Wednesday after King Charles III and the rest of the former monarch's family walked behind as they were carried from Buckingham Palace in a procession.

The procession was followed by tens of thousands of people as the coffin passed through the heart of the capital.

The former monarch's period of lying will continue until his state funeral on Monday.

The rehearsal of the national funeral procession is scheduled for later Thursday.