Kate Middleton's bodyguard, Sergeant Emma Probert, has been honoured by Prince William in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The royal protection officer has guarded the Princess of Wales since she got engaged to William in 2010.
Emma was made a member of the Royal Victorian Order for services to royalty and specialist protection on Thursday, October 13. Emma has accompanied Kate on numerous royal engagements, ensuring she has the highest protection while out in public.
And, Kate's royal protection officer of 12 years is armed to the teeth. According to the Daily Mail, Sergeant Probert is a member of Scotland Yard's Protection Squad, and trained in martial arts. She also reportedly wears a stab vest, and carries a 9mm Glock pistol, and Taser stun gun while protecting the Royal Family.
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She has also protected Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, before working with Kate. While Emma usually wears a dark suit to remain discreet on duty, she opted for a floral dress for the special occasion at the Palace. The Sergeant first trained as a policewoman, before becoming a royal protection officer.
She served as a policewoman during the 7 July 2005 London bombings, where terrorists targeted commuters on public transport during the morning rush hour. A few years before Kate and William got married, Emma's husband, Michael Probert, sadly died aged 42 after a skiing accident while on a trip to the French Alps.
The inquest into his death ended just weeks before the Prince and Princess of Wales got married in 2011. At the time, a royal source spoke of the close bond between Kate and Emma: "They already get on well, which is brilliant as they will be spending so much time in each other's company," reports the Evening Standard.
Last month, King Charles III's bodyguard became an unexpected Internet sensation with an umbrella he held that people speculated was a gun. Many TikTok users compared the man to Colin Firth's character in the popular film Kingsman. Firth's character uses an umbrella as a gun in the films.
It's no easy feat becoming a bodyguard for the royals. Armed Personal Protection Officers have to undergo extensive training and a gruelling selection process. According to Elite UK Forces, they receive training in the use of a gun, unarmed combat, advanced driving, emergency first aid, and carrying out recces at venues.
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