A Guard at the Cavalry & Guards Club in London, England

 

Angela Lansbury with a guard at the Cavalry & Guards Club in London, England. Photo by Angel Lansbury. Copyright.

The Cavalry and Guards protect the royal family and the royal residences, in effect the kingdom. The Cavalry and Guards club is the merger of the Cavalry Club and the Guards Club. Its location is near Piccadilly, in Pall Mall, near Green Park Station, and Hyde Park Station, near Buckingham Palace.

Two guards were at the door of a private reception for an engagement party in The Cavalry & Guards Club in London, England.

One of my family, my husband, later looked at the photo and said, 'They are not real guards. They are performers.'

Another, my son, after that , a couple of days later, looked at the photo and said, ' If you are going to have real guards anywhere, you would expect them at the Cavlary & Guards Club.'

I later thought: Paid performers have prepared repartee, and planned dramatic poses for photos. They are extraverts. Animated. Fun. They make sudden changes of poses when nobody is looking, to surprise you.

Genuine guards stand still, remain stiff lipped, avoid conversation, because that is what they are trained to do. Their eyes are almost hidden by their hats. You cannot tell what they are thinking (if anything) or whether they are watching you.

They are chosen to not react, not be distracted. They stand still, scarcely blinking. They speak in monotones. They are willing to stand in one spot and do what some might consider a boring job, but an essential job.

They do not look quick-witted. However, you would not want to annoy them, if you are smart. Because they are trained to protect particular people, not you. They are smartly dressed, in darmatic red and black, and impressively tall, with the extra height of their black hats. 

Useful Websites

https://cavgdsclub.co.uk/