Royal bodyguard services: what a difference a Royal bodyguard makes
The personal security of royal families has been a specialist occupation for ages. You could consider royal bodyguard services to be the niche of the protection professionals. In fact, two types of royal protection can be discerned.
First, the security of monarchs, emperors, crown princes and princesses is commonly cared for by the royal guards. A specialized security service of the police or armed forces is specially trained and appointed for that purpose. Yet, royal families consist of other members as well, the protection of many of whom are not funded by their governments, as determined in the constitution. So, the second type of royal security is private royal personal protection.
In this article, you can discover what it takes to become a private royal protection officer or royal bodyguard. But to understand the implications of a royal protector, we briefly look at how the close protection of royals has evolved over the past centuries.
Royal guard history
In the early days, the royal guard fulfilled a ceremonial as well as a protective function in the life of monarchs. Being protected by a vast group of strong en strict men was both impressive – as it increased the prestige – but it was also a necessary measure to keep the monarch himself alive. It was Napoleon who formed the Imperial Guard in the eighteenth-century. He composed the guard from various divisions, namely infantry, cavalry and artillery regiments. Also, marines and other staff members were a part of his protection guard.
Today, some monarchies still resemble Napoleon’s formation in one way or another. In times of crisis or revolution, the royal guards take on a political role as well, providing advice and counseling to the head of the country.
If you are interested in reading more about the history of royal protection, on this page, you can find a list of historical and present royal guards.
Who is part of the Royal family
Not every monarchy has the same rules about who belongs to the royal family. For instance, the Netherlands discerns the Royal House and the Royal Family. The Royal House includes the King and Queen and their children, the former King or Queen and the official heirs of the throne. In this country, the Royal family is far bigger than the Royal House, which only counts ten members.
In other monarchies, there is no difference, and a Royal family includes the spouse of the King or Queen, surviving spouses of deceased heads of state, children and (great) grandchildren, siblings, cousins and spouses of these family members.
The constitution of each separate country determines which the royal guards protect royal members and who have to arrange their protection themselves.
The public life of Royals
Royal families can be found in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Some of them are absolute monarchies, and others are constitutional monarchies. Some royals fulfill an official political function, others only a ceremonial one. Whatever their role, their public appearances are often numerous. Think of official state visits, dinners, openings, parliamentary obligations and visiting areas of crisis.
Due to their position, royals have their hands tied. They need to obey protocol and rules strictly, both in function and during their spare time. They cannot speak up about controversial subjects or do anything that may be politically or socially incorrect. Royals constantly balance between keeping to themselves and being accessible and friendly during outings.
Royalty protection requirements
Any bodyguard working for a professional protection agency is required to be exclusively trained by elite police or armed forces. He or she has international experience in the private security industry and possesses a proven track record. For more information on the general requirements, we refer you to this article.
To bodyguards who work for royal families in the private security industry, additional requirements apply.
- Rigorous pre-employment screening.
- Previous government experience working for Royal families in a protective role.
- Royal bodyguards working for the government are often selected because they don’t look like the ’typical security guard’. The ability to work covertly is vital when providing royal bodyguard services around the world.
- Supporting the royals in many ways. It’s not only about stepping into a car and driving them around or standing by their side to shield them against any intruders. A high level of service is expected at any time. A positive attitude, can-do mentality, integrity and being incorruptable are vital.
- Sublime planning skills. Planning ahead is vital for this job. You need to be able to clear your schedule for certain period months or even years ahead. A lot of time goes into planning for visits abroad.
- Working for royals of all ages; from babies to elderly.
- Understanding of etiquette, rules and protocol.
- Comprehend your personal position in relation to your client. You cannot be distracted by the (famous) people they meet and the luxury they surround themselves with. Yachts, estates, castles, cars, private jets, top-notch restaurants are part of their lifestyle. You have separate responsibilities supporting their lifestyle, not joining it.
More information about Royal bodyguard services
In short, Infinite Risks International understands that the predominant royal bodyguard services are about arranging logistics, providing a high level of service, miticulous planning and discreteness. It is our experience that when we do the job correctly, and until now we have done just that, there is no need to fight or use firearms.
Infinite Risks International employs elite, certified bodyguards only; people who are government trained in the UK or the Netherlands. Before appointing any of our people, we thoroughly screen every individual and provide extra training for the job at hand. If you would like to receive more information on hiring worldwide close protection services with experience in working for Royal families or Diplomatic missions, please feel free to contact us today.
