Coldstream Guardsman hid water from Queen under bearskin

Alan Saddler said the Queen had humanity and loved the armed forces

A Coldstream Guard who was given a bottle of water by the Queen has said he hid it under his bearskin as he was frightened of being caught with it.

Alan Saddler, from Kirkby Lonsdale, was 17 and guarding Windsor Castle on a hot day in 1992 when the incident happened.

He said the Queen left him a bottle of water and told him to drink it.

But fearing his corporal would think he had taken it, he said he "popped it under" his hat as he feared being jailed as the guards have strict rules.

Mr Saddler was on duty at Windsor Castle when the Queen gave him the drink

Mr Saddler said he stayed quiet about his encounter with the Queen, who placed the bottle next to him and told him to "have a drink of this" while he was an hour into his two-hour stint at "number four post".

"I had this litre-and-a-half bottle of water balanced on my head, I'd drunk half of it, so when I got relieved I had to walk down through the castle to get back to the guard room with it stuck on my head," he said.

He added he did not remember thanking the Queen for her kind gesture.

Who are the Coldstream Guards?

• Formed in 1650 under command of George Monck, they fought in World War One and Two.

• More recently they have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, but are popularly known for their ceremonial role as the monarch's personal bodyguards.

• They are also seen outside Buckingham Palace in their bearskin hats during the changing of the guard.

• They have strict orders about when they can talk and walk, and must never smile on duty.

Mr Saddler said that up until a few days ago, "only three people in the world knew about it" and he had never mentioned it in case he was punished.

"I never told a soul to be honest because if I'd have been found out I would've been jailed for probably seven to 14 days for taking a bottle of water with me, when you're supposed to be standing still," he said.

He said the bearskin offered the perfect hiding place as there was nowhere to conceal it in the sentry box.

On Her Majesty's passing, he said the water gift showed she "had humanity and loved the armed forces and guards".

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