Live streaming of the first night of the late queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II ' Lying in State ' was cut short in the wee hours of the morning after one of the royal guards watching over the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall appeared to lose consciousness and faint.
The guard was standing at the foot of the late monarch’s casket when he suddenly fell to the floor.
Footage taken from a live broadcast which was posted to social media at around 1am captured the collapse.
The viral footage, that was shared on social media, shows the uniformed guard stumble to his right twice, before regaining his balance then moments later the guard falls forward from the red podium onto the floor where he seemed to have hit his head, after which a number of officials and police officers rush to his aid.
Whether the guard suffered any injuries is unknown at this stage.
The black-clad guard was holding a ceremonial staff when he appeared to faint.
Queen Elizabeth II's lying in state opened to the public at 5pm on Wednesday, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to solemnly file past to pay their respects until September 19, the day of the funeral.
Westminster Hall is open 24 hours a day until Monday morning, with guards holding their positions for hours at time.
The Queen's coffin is raised on a catafalque and each corner is guarded around the clock by a vigil of units from the Sovereign's Bodyguard, the Household Division or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London.
Soldiers in ceremonial uniform are maintaining a constant, 24-hour vigil around the Queen’s coffin while she is lying in state, the hours of remaining completely still while standing are six-hours in length.
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