A younger Scots Guardsman who posted an outrageous TikTok video of himself on sentry obligation at Windsor guarding Queen Elizabeth was later kicked out of the Military for utilizing cocaine, he instructed MailOnline.
Jimmie Straughan’s video, filmed in March 2020, however posted yesterday, outraged prime brass and even his personal girlfriend after he was seen gyrating towards his rifle and exhibiting a quick clip of the late Queen strolling her corgis in the course of the lockdown.
And he claimed the previous monarch herself was so aggravated by his antics within the Windsor Citadel sentry field that she complained about him, incomes him a stern dressing down.
Within the clip the bear-skinned 23-year-old, then a part of F Firm of the elite Family Division, mentioned: ‘I am meant to be taking care of the Royal Household. At present looking at two geese. Do I care? No.’
Jimmie Straughan’s video was filmed in March 2020. However he was kicked out of the Military two years later for failing a medicine check
The King’s guardsman has discovered himself in sizzling water after posting a video ‘taking the p**s’ whereas defending the Royal Household at Windsor Citadel
Jimmie, from Berwick-upon-Tweed, at present spoke solely to MailOnline from Western Australia, the place he has been travelling after being dishonourably discharged from the Military in March 2022 for failing a medicine check.
He was unrepentant concerning the video, saying ‘it was only a little bit of enjoyable to alleviate the boredom’, however admitted the late Queen had complained about him to his superiors after watching him ‘larking round.’
‘I by no means obtained caught taking the video of the Queen strolling her canine with a footman, however she phoned up the guardroom and reported me for misbehaving on submit,’ he mentioned.
‘I obtained a b********g, however nothing greater than that. In the event that they’d seen the video, I would have been out on my ear.’
He mentioned he was finally dismissed in March 2022 after failing a medicine check. He claimed the usage of cocaine was ‘rampant’ within the Family Division, as a result of troopers’ boredom performing ceremonial duties and was glad to depart.
‘Being kicked out was the very best factor that ever occurred to me,’ he mentioned. ‘If you be a part of the Military, you are bought a dream of travelling the world and going to thrilling locations, however once we have been on ceremonial duties, it was simply hell.
‘I hated it once we needed to stand in entrance of the gawping vacationers,’ he recalled. ‘I keep in mind pondering to myself – am I a correct soldier or only a nutcracker?
The previous Guardsman shared images of himself within the iconic purple uniform and black bearskin hat of the Scots Guards
And he would tag ‘Buckingham Palace’ in a few of his social media posts whereas within the army
‘We needed to work one week on, one week off, however could not go away camp at Wellington Barracks in the course of the off weeks as we have been doing different stuff like bodily coaching.
‘We have been barely incomes the minimal wage, however residing in central London, so even if you did get go away, you hardly had any cash to spend.’
He mentioned the troopers of his unit, which he joined in September 2019, have been nonetheless good pals, however they have been ‘handled like s**t by each their superiors and even members of the Royal Household.’
He added: ‘One of many members of my regiment was despatched to army jail in Colchester for 2 weeks for his watch throughout a parade.
‘As soon as we have been placed on punishment obligation and made to crawl up the steps on all fours. That was as a result of a Royal, I do not know which one, complained that one soldier’s arm wasn’t at precisely 90 levels when he was marching.
‘We have been the bottom of the low. I wasn’t a royalist once I went into the Guards, however I definitely did not come out as one. In my three years within the Military I solely met two or three individuals I’d describe as royalists.’
Jimmie claimed the Queen had complained about his antics whereas on guard earlier than he was kicked out of the Military
Requested if he wish to abolish the monarchy, he replied: ‘In some methods, sure, however the Royal Household and the Family Division do herald a hell of loads of income for the nation from vacationers.’
Jimmie mentioned that when he was first recruited to the Military he deliberate to affix the mechanised infantry of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, however was lured to the Scots Guards as a substitute.
‘No-one talked about the ceremonial duties to me in any respect, so it was an enormous shock once we have been posted to Buckingham Palace quickly after I would educated.
‘They instructed me it could be for about three months however actually it was 18 months.
The clip outraged Admiral Lord Alan West, the previous head of the Royal Navy, who mentioned the guardsman now deserves ‘no matter punishment is thrown at him’.
‘He’s a silly fool,’ raged the previous safety minister. ‘You all the time get people who find themselves bloody silly, and clearly he was bored. However that is so silly. He has introduced the Military and army into disrepute.’
Lord Alan West, the previous head of the Royal Navy, mentioned the soldier’s actions had introduced the army into disrepute
In the meantime, again dwelling in Berwick, his father’s girlfriend Rebecca Menzies admitted the video was ‘disrespectful’, but additionally got here to his defence.
She instructed MailOnline: ‘Jimmie left the Military and is at present travelling the world, he is in Australia and his subsequent cease is Bali.
‘It appears to be like as if he is had a drink with some pals and determined to submit the video which was shot whereas he was on obligation at Windsor.
‘I’ve learn loads of the feedback individuals have made about him on social media and it is excessive.
‘It was a bit disrespectful however he is a very good man, a pleasant younger lad and he isn’t the satan as some individuals appear to be making out.
‘When he left the military his dad was dissatisfied however Jimmie mentioned it simply wasn’t for him, he is an energetic lad and likes to be busy, so being on guard obligation wasn’t what he needed, because the video confirmed.
‘We do not know what he’ll do subsequent after travelling however he is solely 23 and has his life forward of him.’
Jimmie’s fisherman father Jason, 51, added: ‘This occurred over a 12 months in the past and Jimmie hassince left the military.
‘He did not and wouldn’t have posted a video like that if he was nonetheless a serving soldier.
The elite Scots Guards Regiment is among the 5 infantry or ‘foot guard’s regiments which makes up the Family Division, together with cavalry.
Jimmie joined the Military as a Guardsman in September 2019 and has posted images of his coaching on Instagram, together with him mendacity inclined on a firing vary and in fatigues stripping down weapons.
He additionally tagged images on his Instagram on obligation at Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, and proven himself and colleagues away on an train in Belize, central America, in 2021.
The clip was filmed by a royal guard on obligation at Windsor Citadel, the place the King hosted his first household Christmas dinner as monarch final month
The King pictured recording his first speech because the nation’s monarch final month
The Guards regiments are extremely educated fight items that are known as upon to hold out operational duties everywhere in the world, however additionally they practice for public duties and regularly participate in State and Royal ceremonial occasions, such because the Altering of the Guard.
Sporting their distinctive bearskin hats, additionally they function sentries at Royal Palaces reminiscent of Buckingham Palace, St James Palace and Windsor Citadel.
An Military spokesperson mentioned: ‘We’re conscious of an outdated video being circulated on social media.
‘Troopers can be held to account the place their social media utilization contravenes our values and requirements, or they bring about the Military into disrepute. This is applicable to all members of the Military, whether or not on obligation, off obligation or on go away and will lead to administrative or disciplinary motion.’
Though posted after leaving the Military, Jimmie’s video has sparked requires the Ministry of Defence to tighten up its social media coaching for all younger troops becoming a member of the forces.
SAS veteran Phil Campion branded the guardsman’s video a ‘foolish mistake’ and known as on higher social media coaching for younger troops becoming a member of the army
Within the video, the soldier says: ‘I am meant to be taking care of the Royal Household. At present looking at two geese. Do I care? No’
Particular forces veteran Phil Campion, who served with Britain’s elite SAS, mentioned the soldier’s video was a ‘foolish mistake’ and has known as on prime brass to enhance social media coaching for younger troops becoming a member of the companies.
He mentioned: ‘This can be a younger lad doing one thing silly and making an attempt to be a bit edgy, making a reputation for themselves…But it surely’s not humorous due to the place he’s and the gravity of the job he has defending the Royal Household.’
Chatting with MailOnline earlier at present, the previous Workers Sergeant added: ‘I’ve a rule to myself as a result of I’ve fallen foul on social media earlier than – if you must give it some thought greater than as soon as I do not submit it. With them being the TikTok generations possibly of their fundamental coaching there needs to be 45 minutes spent. Individuals want to know when you be a part of the Military or the army, issues change. There must be higher schooling.’
Lord West warned extra video leaks from ill-disciplined troops guarding the Royal Household may create a possible safety threat.
‘We nonetheless get remarkably good younger servicemen and ladies… [but] there is no doubt that this era, who’ve been introduced up with social do not appear to grasp the risks of it,’ he added. ‘They do not realise what the influence is after they stupidly submit one thing. It is there for ever.’
