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Natasha Devon 6pm - 9pm
29 May 2024, 11:32 | Updated: 30 May 2024, 10:21
Tourist in London shares wholesome moment with King's Guard horse
Footage posted online shows the moment a woman stroked a King's Guard horse before resting her head on its forehead.
Video shows the woman initially put her hand on the horse's neck and smile towards the camera for a picture.
In a heart warming display of affection the horse, standing guard at Horse Guard's Parade in London, turns to see the woman and curves its neck towards her hand.
The surprised woman, wearing a white skirt and black knit jumper, reaches in to stroke the horse's face before resting her forehead on the horse.
The pair share a brief moment of stillness and the woman holds the horse's head with both hands.
The horse then turns back to its duties and the woman walks away.
In line with protocol, the King's Guard horseman did not move during the entire incident.
Viewers on TikTok were quick to praise the woman, saying the horse "knew she had a pure spirit" and a "beautiful aura".
This is not the first time videos of the King's Guards horses have emerged online.
Last week, a tourist suffered a nasty shock when she was bitten by a King's Guard horse that she was stroking while posing for a photo.
The woman reached out to touch the horse's neck as she smiled for a photo in central London.
But the horse appeared to get irritated and reached round to bite the woman, who stumbled back, startled.
Footage of the incident has gone viral, garnering hundreds of thousands of views.
The man who was taking the photo comforted her and they walked off.
The King's Guard is usually staffed by the Household Cavalry, who made headlines in April when two of their horses were seriously injured during a rampage across London.
Quaker, a Cavalry black, and a grey called Vida bolted off after being spooked by builders moving rubble while they were on an extended exercise in Belgravia with five other horses and six soldiers from the Household Cavalry.
The two horses are said to be making progress in their recovery.
The job of the Household Cavalry is to protect the monarch and serve as the "public face" of the army. Although they are popular subjects for tourists taking photos, they are not allowed to interact with the public.
A description on their website reads: "The Household Cavalry is made up of the two most senior regiments in the British Army: The Life Guards and The Blues & Royals. It is divided into the Household Cavalry Regiment and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
"Since 1660, the soldiers of Household Cavalry have acted as the monarch’s trusted guardians, as well as being the public face of the British Army both at home and abroad."