At some point or other, we all have wondered how much would you make if you worked as a soldier for the King’s Guard in the UK. The King’s Guard in the UK has long been an object of curiosity for people all around the world. The novel fascination of tourists with the sentries at the royal palace is not anything new on the web. However, recent intel about the soldiers’ and King’s Guard and potential salaries have left people absolutely gasping.
The expressionless guards who stand at Buckingham Palace in the UK and work through storms and sun make meagre below-average money when compared to people who sit behind a desk and get paid double the amount. One person on TikTok took it upon himself to research and issue the private information online.
The guy, who goes by the name @howmuchthough on TikTok, began by outlining that the sentries at the palace are primarily chosen from five regiments that include Grenadier, Scot, Irish, Coldstreams, and Welsh guards.
The first requirement to get the job of a guard at Buckingham Palace is that the applicants must be older than 16 years old and younger than 35 and a half years old. Another important factor is their physical fitness though there are no stated educational qualifications.
The chosen applicants have to go under mandatory training to become a part of the King’s Guard which starts with 28 weeks at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick (ITC Catterick) which trains all the Army’s Infanteers.
The potential candidates learn the basics of weapon handling, survival, first aid, life firing, map reading, fitness and building stamina. It also focuses heavily on drill training given the prevalence of it throughout the job at the palace. After the training, the guards join their respective battalions. It is here that after training for six to 18 months they learn ceremonial duties.
After all the training, the trainee’s sentry begins the job with an annual salary of 18,687 pounds (over Rs 19.5 lakh). The TikToker adds, “That swiftly changes after being promoted to Guardsman – the equivalent of private – increasing your salary to £23,496 (over Rs 24.5 lakh) after 26 weeks of service.” “Once promoted to Lance Corporal, you’ll be earning £34,497 (Rs 36 Lakhs) a year.” However, the amount keeps on increasing as the ranks of the guards go up. Well, the internet feels their compensation was not enough for the amount of physical strength their job demands.
