http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=108&sid=6390573&cKey=1137854577000For 500 years, popes have been protected by Swiss guards. Originally mercenaries, their bravery and loyalty convinced Julius II to enlist them permanently.
Visitors to the Vatican cannot fail to notice the Swiss guards. Armed with antique halberds and sporting helmets adorned with ostrich plumes, their garb is much the same as in medieval times. snip
The recent history of the Swiss guard has been tarnished by the murder of one of its commanders, Commandant Alois Estermann, and his wife. They were shot in 1998 by vice-corporal Cédric Tornay, who then killed himself.
An investigation was quickly wound up by the magistrature of the Holy See, which attributed the killings to a fit of madness by Tornay. But the incident remains shrouded in mystery and continues to fuel speculation about intrigues within the Vatican.