King's Guard horse thanks young girl with gentle nudge in viral video

A heartwarming moment outside St James' Palace has gone viral, capturing a sweet interaction between a young girl and the King's Guard.

In the viral Tik Tok clip, the little girl can be seen approaching a mounted King's Guard and his horse, with her mother. She then leans forward and quietly slips some cash into the guard's boot-a gesture believed to be a small donation or token of appreciation.

Moments later, the guard's horse turns its head toward the child and gently rests its muzzle on top of her head, leaving her smiling with joy. The adorable gesture has melted hearts online.

After the video was shared on Tik Tok, thousands of viewers rushed to comment on the tender moment.

One user wrote: 'The horse gave her a kiss!' 

Another said: 'And this is how you respectfully approach the guardsmen and horses.'

Someone else commented: 'She is more respectful than most adults there.' 

While this act of giving money is not officially encouraged by palace staff-due to safety concerns about approaching the horses-it has become an occasional tradition among tourists to leave tips inside the boots of the mounted guards as  a thank-you gesture.

For context, this is not the first time the King's Guard has made headlines for heartwarming gestures.

In July 2023, a guard was widely praised for posing with a man who had Down's syndrome- another rare but touching breach of protocol.