Who Are The Royal Company Of Archers And How Do They Protect The Monarch?
Following the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II, many are paying close attention to those that spent their life in service of protecting Her Majesty.
Take the Royal Protection Squad for instance. While the group is known for being the crème de la crème of security guards, providing 24-hour security to the royal family, they had some serious explaining to do in 1982 when an intruder by the name of Michael Fagan was able to quietly skirt past the many layers of security and into the queen's Buckingham Palace bedroom. To make matters worse, the story goes that after the queen found the man in her private quarters she had the wherewithal to keep calm and call security... to no avail. RUH-ROH. As reported by The Sun, the monarch then promptly ran out of the room and grabbed help down the hall. YIKES.
But in addition to the Royal Protection Squad, there was another outfit tasked with ensuring the queen's safety...
The Royal Company of Archers provides security to the monarch while in Scotland
Never fear. The Royal Company of Archers is here.
According to the official website of the British Royal Family, The Royal Company of Archers' sole purpose was to provide security for Queen Elizabeth II, any time she was in Scotland. Case in point: the garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse takes place every year in June. As you may recall, Her Majesty was notably absent during the 2022 festivities. "Her Majesty The Queen will be represented by other members of the royal family at this year's garden parties, with details on attendance to be confirmed in due course," Buckingham Palace released in an official statement about her absence, per The Scotsman.
Alas, on September 11, they stood guard for the queen one final time as her coffin arrived in Edinburgh, as reported by The Independent. And now, they will be tasked with protecting a new monarch: King Charles III.