Former SAS Commander Criticizes Irish Guards' Appearance During Zelensky's Visit

A retired lieutenant colonel from the Special Air Service (SAS) has publicly criticized the appearance of Irish Guards who formed a guard of honor for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Downing Street. Richard Williams, a former commander of 22 SAS, described the soldiers as "unarmed Teletubbies in ill-fitting playground uniforms" in a social media post.

Eleven soldiers, clad in their traditional scarlet tunics and black bearskin hats, stood in formation as Prime Minister Andy Burnham welcomed President Zelensky on Wednesday. Williams, however, viewed the photograph of the event as "a picture of decline" and stated that the Guards appeared to be "pseudo soldiers used as decorations."

He further elaborated on X, formerly Twitter, calling the image "awful" and asserting that it represented "the very opposite of martial excellence and so far from the hard steel and war-won standards of the past."

Williams contrasted the current image with a photograph of the late Queen Mother inspecting the Irish Guards in 1928, captioning his post with "The way it was..."

Lt Col Ben Irwin-Clark, the commanding officer of the Irish Guards, responded to the criticism, telling The Sun, "Those of you writing negative comments about the regiment need to give your heads a wobble."

The exchange occurs amid broader discussions about Britain's defense readiness. General Sir Roly Walker, Chief of the General Staff, recently warned that the nation must be prepared to make sacrifices to defend itself. He indicated that political leaders would initiate a "frank conversation" with citizens about the risks facing the country and the need for increased prioritization of defense and security.

These remarks coincide with ongoing debates about military spending, as Labour has committed to investing 2.7% of GDP in the armed forces for the remainder of the decade, while calls mount for this figure to reach 3.0% by 2030. The UK has a deadline of 2035 to meet NATO's defense spending benchmark of 3.5% of GDP, which would necessitate an additional £25 billion per year.