And also why do they still exist? Can’t a regular soldier do the same thing?
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Military members are trained to handle physically/mentally difficult and uncomfortable tasks. I’m sure standing in relative safety is much easier than being in war, which is what they’re trained for.
There is a monument in Taiwan, probably to Sun Yat Sen, and there are two guards standing at the entrance facing each other. When I went there I was checking out their shined up black M1 Garands and noticed that one guard was facing the sun and his eyes were red and tears were pouring out of them. The guy literally had to look into the sun with his eyes open! That can’t be good!
Take a dog turd. Make it rare. Shine it up real nice and put it way high up on a pedestal. There’s no end to the hoops that some people will jump through to eat it.
No one has really answered HOW they physically stand there for hours and not move. If I stood still for a few minutes my feet would be on fire.
I don’t think I could do it even if I wanted to
It is not only in countries with monarchies. In the USA there are plenty of units that are ceremonial. As others have said it is very prestigious to be assigned to these unit. They are soldiers first and were very good to even be considered. The Navy has the USS Constitution which is the oldest commissioned ship. [It is crewed by regular Navy service members. ](https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Reference/MILPERSMAN/1000/1300Assignment/1306-920.pdf?ver=gl2hjgFI0KqxNWK_zYNPwA%3D%3D)Then there is the [Old Guard](https://jtfncr.mdw.army.mil/oldguard/) which is the 3rd Infantry Regiment. They are the ceremonial unit that protects the president and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Do not let the word ceremonial confuse you. [These men and women are soldiers first](https://jtfncr.mdw.army.mil/Commands/3d-Infantry-Regiment-The-Old-Guard/Join-TOG/) and are among the best of the best in the Army.
I don’t know how they train not to break demeanor, but if the exam is anything like [the one they use in the US](https://youtu.be/9AqqmjGzeTQ?feature=shared) then I can only assume the training involves surgical removal of one’s sense of humor. I can’t even watch other people take that test.
They’re real soldiers who could fuck you up. I know that’s not what you asked but a few mentioned that they’re ceremonial which just isn’t true.
How do they stay on their feet for hours? Same way a nurse, McDonalds worker etc etc do. Over time your muscles just get better at the things you repeatedly do with them.
In Sweden the palace guards are just regular conscripts. They’re told to stand there for 4 hours, and then get replaced. It’s boring but not hard. I’ve done it
We had a path we could march when we got bored like 5 meters away and then 5 meters back.
Palace guards are regular soldiers (at least in the UK). Yes they are generally more elite and prestigious positions but they are (mostly) drawn from senior infantry regiments that serve in the regular armed forces.
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