Why Are The Queen's Guards Called Beefeaters? | Metro News

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The Yeomen of the Guard at Queen Elizabeth's state funeral
Yeomen of the Guard – nicknamed the beefeaters – were present at the Queen’s state funeral at Westminster Abbey (Picture: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II has taken place at Westminster Abbey.

Members of the Royal Family joined heads of state and sovereigns from around the world in paying tribute to Her Majesty.

Soldiers from the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, were chosen as pallbearers for the service at Westminster Abbey.

Members of the Grenadier Guards were also tasked with guarding the Queen’s coffin as she Lay-in-state for four days in Westminster Hall.

And many people don’t realise that the oldest of the Queen’s bodyguards – the Yeomen of the Guard who were also at the funeral – have the nickname of ‘beefeaters’.

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Here is what you need to know about the unusual name given to those tasked with protecting the Queen.

Why are the Queen’s guards called beefeaters?

The name ‘beefeaters’ is often believed to have come from the French word – ‘buffetier’.

Buffetiers were guards in the palaces of French kings and they were tasked with protecting the monarch’s food.

The Yeomen of the Guard at Queen Elizabeth's state funeral
The beefeaters are the oldest group of the Royal bodyguards (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The name Beefeater could instead come from the time when the Yeomen of the Guard at the Tower of London were paid part of their salaries with chunks of beef, which took place up until the 1800s.

Others suggest that the guards were given the name because they were allowed to eat as much beef from King Henry VII’s table as they could manage.

What are the Yeomen of the Guard?

The Yeomen of the Guard were formed in 1485 by King Henry VII.

In the aftermath of his success at the Battle of Bosworth, Henry brought a group of soldiers together to become his personal bodyguard.

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There are currently 73 Yeomen of the Guard, made up of former officers and sergeants of the British Services, who are responsible for providing bodyguard services to the monarch.

The Yeomen of the Guard are the oldest of the Royal bodyguards and the oldest military corps in the United Kingdom.

All Yeoman have to be aged between 42 and 55 and have served in the military for at least 22 years.

They must also have attained the rank of Sergeant or above, but not be a commissioned officer – and they must also have been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (LS&GCM).

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The guards support the monarch at a range of Royal occasions, such as the Royal Maundy Service, investitures and summer Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace.

Their most infamous act is to search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster ahead of the State Opening of Parliament, in a tradition which stretches back to Guy Fawkes’ gunpowder plot in 1605.

The Yeomen of the Guard wear their famous red state ‘dress uniforms’ for important occasions of state at the Tower of London, as well as for gun salutes outside the Tower.

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