The Colonel’s Review: at least three soldiers faint in military parade as temperatures soar in the UK

Three soldiers fainted due to the sweltering London temperatures during the Colonel’s Review on Saturday (10 June) with Prince William acknowledging the “difficult conditions”.

Thousands of people gathered at the Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park to witness the review before the Trooping the Colour next week. The ceremony involved hundreds of horses and soldiers carrying out battlefield drill maneuvers to military music as temperatures reached around 28C.

At least three soldiers fainted and were taken off in stretchers, as two more were helped off the parade ground.  One member of the Massed Bands of the Household Division returned to his feet after collapsing and was greeted with a round of applause from the audience.

Although he appeared to attempt to carry on playing his instrument, he was swiftly escorted off by medical staff.

Photos of the troops showed one being taken away via stretcher by medics. According to the Met Office, the 30C is the earliest it has been in England for almost two decades, as temperatures exceeded 30C in the UK for the first time. 

William inspected his troops on horseback, wearing a bearskin cap and red dress uniform, for the first time as Colonel of the Welsh Guards. 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.”

William acknowledged the “difficult conditions” in a tweet he personally signed with his initial. He wrote: “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.”

The Colonel’s Review is the final evaluation of the Household Division before the soldiers and horses parade for the King during Trooping the Colour on 17 June to mark the monarch’s official birthday - annual event that has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign for more than 260 years.

Preparations for the Review began even before the King’s coronation, with all seven regiments of the Household Division taking part, including the five regiments of the foot guards – Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh – and two mounted regiments – the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.