King Charles guard's unexpected reaction to a young man goes viral

King Charles III's guard went viral for his kind gesture to a boy, attracting massive praise from Britons.

One of the king's soldiers won hearts with his unexpected gesture when a young man with Down syndrome approached for a photo.

In the video, widely shared across social media, a member of the Household Calvary’s Blues and Royals regiment delighted young men with his kind gesture.

As a boy posed for a picture, the stoic soldier took a surprise step toward him to create a better photo.

The boy appeared nervous around the guard, probably because the soldier has such emphatic body language.

Video footage of the guard’s gesture has since been viewed over five million times on TikTok and even caught the eye of Major Steve Parker, an official at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (where Prince William and Prince Harry both went).

"I am proud to be a member of @HCav1660 (Blues and Royals) every single day but seeing this young Trooper do this has me bursting with Pride. Well done young man, you are a fantastic example of the empathetic, strong young leaders we need in the @BritishArmy," Parker tweeted on Friday.