Police rushed to help a member of the Household Cavalry who fainted while in position for the King’s first service for the Order of the Garter as monarch.
Braving the heat for the second time since the weekend, members of the Household Cavalry and Yeoman Warders lined the streets of Windsor as the King led the procession to St George’s Chapel.
The Order of the Garter, is the most senior order of chivalry in Britain, and on Monday the King welcomed the installation of two new members.
With temperatures reaching 24C, according to the Met Office, one young soldier had to be helped back on his feet by police officers after passing out before the ceremony began.
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It comes after another soldier fainted during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade on Saturday, and a further three who fainted during the Colonel’s Review – a royal military parade – a week earlier.
The Prince of Wales, who led the Colonel’s Review on 10 June, paid tribute to soldiers on social media.
“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,” he wrote in a tweet.
The heat on Monday did not deter thousands of members of the public who gathered inside the castle grounds to see Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh attend the ceremony.
Around 800 guests attended inside the chapel and 2,900 members of the public who had won ballot tickets watched from outside.
Members of the Order in attendance included former prime ministers Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major.
Established by King Edward III nearly 700 years ago, the Order comprises 24 members, including the King and Queen, several members of the royal family and 18 knights or ladies.
On Monday, former Labour minister Catherine Ashton was made Lady Companion while Chris Patten, the final governor of Hong Kong, became a Knight Companion.
The Royal website states: “Knights of the Garter are chosen personally by the Sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed in a particular way to national life or who have served the Sovereign personally.”
