Thousands gathered at Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park to witness The Colonel’s Review ahead of Trooping the Colour during the King’s Birthday Parade next week.
The ceremony, which was overseen by Prince William, involved hundreds of horses and soldiers carrying out complex battlefield drill manoeuvres to military music.
However, with temperatures reaching 28C, the heat proved too much for some of the troops taking part.
At least three soldiers fainted and were taken off on stretchers while two more were helped off the parade ground.
Afterwards, the Prince of Wales tweeted his appreciation for the troops taking part in the event despite the difficult conditions.
He posted: “A big thank you to every solider [sic] who took part in the Colonel’s Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions but you all did a really good job. Thank you. W”.
A big thank you to every solider who took part in the Colonel’s Review this morning in the heat. Difficult conditions but you all did a really good job. Thank you. W
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 10, 2023
Ceremony ‘is a lot harder than it looks on the TV’
James Calford, 18, from Cardiff, who was the youngest soldier in the Welsh Guards to take part, described Trooping the Colour as “like being stood in a sauna with a 200kg dumbbell in your left hand”.
He said the ceremony “is a lot harder than it looks on the TV”.
“Once you have got your tunic and bearskin on and carrying your rifle in heat it is incredibly uncomfortable.”
This event took place amid an amber heat-health alert being issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
This is in place for hot weather until 9 am on Tuesday (June 13) in the West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South East and South West.
It means the impact of the heat is “likely to be felt across the whole health service… and the wider population, not just the most vulnerable”.
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