British Royal Guards are trained to 'Faint to Attention'; But Why?

It's not uncommon to see a member of the British Royal Guard lose consciousness, particularly at large-scale events which require them to stand still for extended periods of time.

This combined with the weight of their uniform, environmental conditions and pressure to fulfil their duties can mean the guards can faint whilst on duty.

They are in fact trained to ‘faint to attention’, meaning they have to keep their disciplined pose even when falling to the ground. 

There is to be no crabbing sideways or swaying and certainly no dropping the rifle, going down on one knee or putting a hand down. 

Instead, true grit is displayed by those soldiers who can topple forward face first while still holding their bayonet-tipped rifles. This is why you often see pictures of passed-out guards lying flat on their faces.

Special contempt is reserved for anyone who falls over on his back.