Beefeaters take a moment to rest after guarding Queen's coffin

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By Carina Murphy

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Members of the Royal Guard have been snapped taking a break during their six-hour shift protecting the Queen's coffin.

In rare behind-the-scenes photos, the Yeoman Warders - also known as beefeaters - can be seen fixing each other's uniforms and sinking into a sofa as they take one of their 20-minute breaks.

The pictures were posted on Twitter by the Ministry of Defence, who shared them alongside a caption explaining how: "The UK Armed Forces are continuing to honor their Commander-in-Chief of 70 years, Her Majesty The Queen, as they stand vigil alongside The King's Body Guard."

Since being shared yesterday (September 18), the post has racked up over 7.5k likes. Meanwhile, many people have taken to the comments section to applaud the work of the Yeoman Warders.

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Credit: Ministry of Defence/Twitter

"Well done to [you] all, what a huge honor during such a sad time, Her Majesty is looking down on [you] all as a very proud Queen," one wrote.

"Must be very taxing. It's not easy to stand still for any amount of time but to manage it for prolonged periods, even over a shift pattern in a heavy dress uniform is amazing," added another.

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Credit: PA Images / Alamy

"Upholding a fine tradition of military service in this country," a third tweeted, adding: "You should all be very proud of the service you have given to the Queen."

"Keep tabbing lads you are a sight to behold and the Queen will be up there proud as punch as are we all," chimed in a fourth.

Over the past week, the Yeoman Warders have stood guard over the Queen's coffin during her lying-in-state at Westminster Hall, alongside the Gentlemen at Arms and the Royal Company of Archers.

The centuries-old military order - which dates all the way back to 1485 - is required to stick to an exhausting 24-hour schedule that proved too much for one Royal Guard last week.

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Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

On Thursday (September 15), a guard standing in front of the Queen's casket appeared to faint, prompting the BBC to suspend it's live stream of Westminster Hall.

The Queen's state funeral will begin today at 11:00AM (BST).

Featured Image Credit: PA Images / Alamy