Thirteen of Queen Elizabeth II's guardsmen have been jailed for attending a cocaine-fuelled party amid the UK's ongoing battle against COVID-19.
The soldiers, who are tasked with guarding Her Majesty and Windsor Castle, one of her royal residences, put the monarch in danger by partying with members of the public during lockdown in June.
The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, had isolated within their 'bubble' at Windsor Castle to ensure they weren't exposed to the virus, which poses a greater risk to the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
According to local media, the Queen's guardsmen were treated as a single household, banned from seeing their families and were prohibited from socialising with others under the stringent rules.
The soldiers' alcohol and drug-fuelled rave breached the bubble system designed to protect the royals from contracting COVID-19, according to reports.
Thirteen troops from the Welsh Guards, based at Combermere Barracks in Windsor, were sentenced last week. Their punishments ranged from two to four weeks at the military's Glasshouse prison in Colchester, Essex.
Four of the men had tested positive for cocaine and will be dismissed from the Army after serving their sentences.
Three other guardsmen who attended the party - including a more senior lance sergeant - will be informed of their punishment in the coming days, the Daily Mail reports.
However, an Army source told the Daily Mail "there was never any danger" to the Queen and Prince Philip, as the guardsmen would have had "absolutely no contact" with the royals.
At the height of the pandemic, the Queen's 24 servants were reportedly split into teams of 12, each working three weeks on and three weeks off. Staff who had taken leave were required to spend a week in quarantine before returning to work.
Last week's sentencing is believed to be the largest number of troops imprisoned for a single crime at once.
