Buckingham Palace's dancing guardsman has been named
The guardsman whose "silly walks" dance became an internet sensation has finally been named
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Grenadier guard who rebelled against the monotony of walking back and forth outside Buckingham Palace has finally been revealed.
The Evening Standard reported that the dancing guard's name is 20-year-old Samuel Jones and that friends describe him as a "joker" who likes "larking about".
Earlier this month, Jones became an internet hit after a video uploaded on YouTube showed him in his Grenadier guard outfit spinning around and dancing as he walked outside Buckingham Palace.
Jones even mixed up his actual walk, at times marching in slow motion and even with a slight jig. At one point he bent down to pick something up off the ground.
Jones' strut caused much mirth yet it also incurred the wrath of the Ministry of Defence who began to investigate the matter.
Explaining Jones' motive, a friend told The Evening Standard : “The strict routines of army life can get a bit heavy sometimes and Sam really enjoys cheering people up.
“He has no idea how seriously his latest stunt would be taken - and it has worried his family.
“It was just a prank and everyone is hoping his bosses don’t make too much of an example out of him.”
While the stunt was enjoyed by onlookers at the time and earned Jones many an internet fan, he could still face a £1,000 fine and even a three-week prison sentence.
However, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson told The Evening Standard last week it was unlikely that Jones would be jailed over his stunt, stating, "He will face some sort of action but it is more likely to be a fine. No decision has been made."
The video of Jones has now been viewed over 2.2 million times on YouTube.
While many commentators on the video thought Jones' dancing injected a bit of life into a dull job, others felt he undermined his role and brought shame on his regiment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments