Defending the pope: behind the Swiss Guards' armour

Jeremy and Paul, whose surnames cannot be published for security reasons, will soon be sworn in as Swiss Guards at the Vatican, becoming part of an ancient, prestigious body responsible for protecting the pope. The Swiss Guards, the world's oldest practising army, was founded by Pope Julius II in 1506. Its admission requirements are stringent: unmarried, male, Swiss, a practising Catholic, aged between 19 and 30, at least 1.74 metres tall, and bearing, according to the rules, "an impeccable reputation".