Rather than be ignored, a couple of the guards are seen giving the child subtle acknowledgment. One man carrying a trombone appears to smile his way, and later, one of the last men marching gives the boy a couple of curt nods as if he is also part of the unit. After the King’s Guard leaves the area, the kid turns to his parent and gives an enthusiastic thumb’s up. Like many, he probably didn’t expect for the guards to act like they saw him, so the fact that he received slight recognition was likely an exciting surprise. Though rare, this is not the only instance where soldiers stepped up for visitors. Another video on TikTok captures a soldier in the midst of performing King’s Life Guard duties at Horse Guards when an older man and a 17-year-old boy with Down’s syndrome approach to take a photo. The soldier sees them trying to get closer and promptly takes a smooth side-step toward them. His actions are greatly appreciated by the pair, and the older man tells him: “Much respect.”
