Lance Sergeant Farai Mabasa, 36, a father of two has been fined approximately £1,365, that is 14 days’ pay for the misconduct.
He was expected to be at work for a shift starting at 2 am but failed to turn up resulting in the fellow soldier he was meant to guard the shift with ringing Farai countless times but to no avail.
When Farai was called to report to the palace the next day, he reportedly came smelling booze, Bulford Military Court heard during a court martial.
He pleaded guilty to two charges of being unfit through alcohol and failure to attend to his duties.
As punishment, he was demoted in rank and sentenced to seven days of detention through an internal disciplinary procedure, reports say.
Farai survived detention and expulsion with a whisker. According to Army rules and conduct, he could not be detained as someone with the rank of Lance Sergeant cannot be ordered to be detained without special permission that could not be sought during the course of his trial.
The punishment was then quashed at an appeal hearing at Bulford Military Court. Farai moved from Zimbabwe to the UK back in 2000 when he was only 14 years old.
He exceptionally served in the British army and rose through the ranks to Grenadier Guard.
The incident took place back on August 12 when the Queen was still alive but had been away on her summer holiday in Balmoral.
–iHarare