
Ryan Barby, a former Airborne soldier and Afghanistan veteran, has shared the disparity between protecting celebrities and working with the Royal Family’s personal security team during historical events.

The Nottingham lad, who joined the army at just 16, has protected a host of high-profile figures, including Stormzy and One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson and the late Liam Payne. But his assignments for the royals — from Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee to her state funeral — were of a different order, the source asserts.
“The difference being on the high-profile jobs is you have to stay switched on 24/7. When it goes live, there are cameras absolutely everywhere from all media around the world, so it would be a massive embarrassment for you within the industry to be caught on your phone or messing around not paying attention. You could potentially be thrown off task on the spot with no second chances,” he told Mirror UK.
Ryan’s career also includes supporting the American Secret Service during President Joe Biden’s visit to Edinburgh. However, his first royal encounter was in 2008, when he was awarded a military medal by the then Prince Charles for his service in Afghanistan during Operation Herrick.
Ryan shares insights from Queen’s funeral
One of Ryan’s most rigorous assignments came on September 19, 2022, during Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral. “It was a very unique role that day, assisting many different world leaders and their close protection teams. It was extremely interesting watching how they all operate because every nation uses different tactics,” he shared.
“I would never disclose any tactics used, but it was a good learning curve and great experience seeing world-class operators in action.”
Ryan also served on a response team during the Queen’s Jubilee, keeping a vigilant watch for potential threats. Over one million people attended the event, reflecting the global respect Her Majesty commanded.
Ryan shared grueling five-night shifts of at least 12 hours each, said, “Her Majesty carried a lot of respect around the world, and it was clear to see that day she will be deeply missed. She powerfully cemented herself in the history books, that’s for sure.”
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“The proudest moment for me is knowing I am doing this work for my children. So no matter how tough it gets, I have to keep going for them.”