According to a leaked memo from King Charles’ equerry’s office that The Sun received, the 74-year-old king has ordered the troops to stay quiet because he claims the Changing the Guard ritual has been too loud and is keeping him from conducting official business.
“His Majesty observed the other day how noisy the exiting sentries were at Saint James’s Palace in the morning,” the note reportedly claimed.
Great marks for vigor and volume, but could you maybe let those on guard know that Clarence House is a residence and that those inside would greatly appreciate some noise control?
Despite the troops barking commands outside his windows, Charles, who is accustomed to rising early, is said to find it difficult to get any work done inside Clarence House.
The guards who have protected the royals since 1660 march in and out of sentry stations around the royal palaces while wearing a bearskin and red tunics.
Since 2003, the King and Queen Consort Camilla have called Clarence House home. He chose to stay at the house rather than move into the nearby Buckingham Palace when he became king or queen last year, breaking with custom.
Following King Charles’ complaint, an army officer told the guard commanders: “Please could you pass unto your troops that when posting sentries first thing in the morning at St James’s Palace that they should do so at a slightly lower volume.”
The complaint comes as Charles gets ready for his historic coronation, which will, according to the palace, break a few traditions.
The intrigue surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s potential participation could add to the monarch’s stress levels after he decided his youngest son would not participate in the event.
