GREAT BRITAIN: En Garde!

As every tourist knows, London’s horseguards take the vow of silence on duty. As they sit majesticallyastride their mounts in Whitehall, children may taunt them, cameramenmay pop flashbulbs in their faces, and tourist guides may speak aboutthe guardsmen as if they were not really there. The guardsman is underorders never to move a muscle except to control his horse, never tospeak except to summon a policeman or foot sentry “if somethinghappens.” For almost 300 years it has been that way.

One afternoon last week Guide John Thompson Reeves went into his usualspiel to 34 Americans about the pair of mounted Life Guards in scarlettunic, white knee breeches and shining armor: “If a wasp crawled up thenostril of one of the guardsmen he would not permit himself to move hishand.” Pointing to Trooper John Tedbury, Guide Reeves said that hisebony boots are patent leather and his breastplate stainless steel anduntarnishable, so that the guards never have to do any polishing.

Something snapped inside Trooper Tedbury. He flashed his unsheathedsword down from the vertical “Carry Sword” position, pointed itstraight at Guide Reeves’s throat and shouted over his chin strap: “Youare a liar. Move on!” The 34 Americans retreated in disorder, and GuideReeves found himself speechless.

Summoned before his commandingofficer, Lieut. Colonel the Marquess Douro, a descendant of the Duke ofWellington, Tedbury said, “I did it for the honor of the regiment.”Owing to “extenuating circumstances,” ruled the War Office, hisdisobedience would not be punished.