Soldiers who took on the role of coffin bearers for Queen Elizabeth II on her final journey home have attracted praise for performing the monumental task “with great dignity and poise” under the watchful eyes of millions.
Members of the public lauded the eight pallbearers for their steadiness and composure while shouldering the late monarch’s coffin into Westminster Abbey for her funeral and later carrying it up the steps of St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle for the committal service.
Relatives and neighbours of the men, picked from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, have since come forward to say how proud they felt after watching them carry out their duty.
The queen was company commander for the soldiers who were all serving in Iraq when she died on September 8. They flew back to the UK and prepared for the ceremonial events surrounding the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
After carrying the coffin into Westminster Hall last week for the queen’s lying in state, they returned to the spotlight this week for her state funeral, attended by the king, the royal family and world leaders. They were led by a ninth soldier, Company Sgt Maj Dean Jones, a married father-of-one, with another guard at the rear of the casket.
“It was an honour to see him and he did an amazing job,” his mother Gaynor said. “I am very proud of him.”
Deserving of recognition
There have been calls for the troops to be given awards for their efforts, with some suggesting they should be presented with medals while others say they deserve to be knighted.
Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, backed calls for the men to be awarded medals. “The Royal Victoria Order is given for personal service to the sovereign,” he said. “What could be more personal than carrying the sovereign's body for lying in state, as well as the state funeral?”
Among the group chosen for the huge task were a teenager and a former reservist.
The father of Luke Simpson from Nottinghamshire, identified as one of the pallbearers, told of his pride in his son.
“I would like to say thank you for all the lovely comments for yesterday,” Mark Simpson wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. “We are so proud of Luke.
“We had a tear watching but they have all done us proud. It's been an honour to watch this and see them all doing their best for the country and the crown.”
The soldier was second from the back of the right-hand side of the coffin. Mr Simpson’s local MP Lee Anderson heaped praise on him and his fellow constituent Arron Lowe, who also took part in the funeral.
“Ashfield Lads. Luke and Arron doing their duty and making their families and the whole of Ashfield feel incredibly proud. Serving queen and country,” Mr Anderson wrote on Facebook.
His local football team also praised his performance. A post on Selston FC's Facebook page read: "Respect to you Luke Simpson, flawless under pressure with the whole world watching on. You have done your country, village, family and friends proud!"
Other guards serving alongside them included David Sanderson from Morpeth in Northumberland and Fletcher Cox, a 19-year-old from Jersey. The teenager was in 2018 awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's medal, the highest honour that can be awarded to one of the island’s Army Cadets.
The young soldier who was at the back of the pallbearer party was said to have displayed a “passion” for service from an early age. Laura Therin, a staff sergeant with Jersey’s Army Cadet Force, told ITV: “We were all quite astounded — seeing him wasn't something any of us were expecting, but we're all so incredibly proud of Fletcher and his achievements.
“I've known Fletcher since he first started with the Cadets. He always was a very organised young man who lived and breathed Cadets. He always knew he wanted to go into that line of work — it always was his passion and it's so great to see that paying off.”
Lee Dixon, Mr Sanderson’s grandfather from Newcastle upon Tyne, took to social media to speak of his pride.
“I would like to put my proud grandfather head on and let you know that my grandson, David, who is in the Queen’s Company of the Grenadier Guards, was one of the pallbearers for the coffin,” he wrote on Facebook. “He is the blond haired one at the front, on the left of the coffin.
“Myself and my daughter, son-in-law, and every one of our family are very proud of David and what he has achieved, for himself and our country.”
Mr Dixon, a retired police officer, said his daughter had “cried until she went to bed” after watching her son take part in the queen’s funeral.
Others who had links to the soldiers, or simply admired them for their work, took to Twitter to praise them.
"My friend’s nephew was one of the queen’s pallbearers," wrote one woman with the Twitter handle @SalopSkyBlue2. "There he is, 3rd from the front. What a great honour and a huge responsibility. He and his colleagues carried out their duties with great dignity and poise. I trust they will be congratulated and honoured in due course."
Kathryn Hall tweeted to praise the men for their "incredible" work. "I think we can all agree the eight pallbearers of the queen's coffin absolutely deserve recognition," she said. "Medals, knighthood, titles."
Adrian Hilton, a lecturer in politics and political philosophy, said a certificate would hardly suffice given the huge responsibility the Grenadier Guards had been given.
“You get a certificate for swimming a length,” he wrote on Twitter. “Of course the bearer party deserve MBEs [Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]: they were magnificent.
“If the relevant state honours committee doesn't agree, the king has his own order of honours and could appoint them all MVO [Member of the Royal Victorian Order] or LVO [Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order].”
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral - in pictures
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King Charles III in Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. PA -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried into St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle for the committal service. PA -
The hearse arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service. Getty Images -
Flowers are seen on the hearse as it arrives at Windsor Castle. AP -
King Charles and Prince William join the procession in the Quadrangle inside Windsor Castle. AFP -
The procession, led by the dismounted detachment of the Household Cavalry, followed by massed Pipes and Drums of Scottish and Irish regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas, the Royal Air Force and the Band of the Grenadier Guards, arrives at Windsor Castle. Getty Images -
The hearse travels along the Long Walk as it makes its way to Windsor Castle. Reuters -
The ceremonial procession travels down the Long Walk in Windsor. PA -
The hearse travels to Windsor. Reuters -
The royal corgis await the cortege at Windsor Castle. Reuters -
A member of the Coldstream Guards walks past flowers at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. AP -
A mourner throws a flower towards Queen Elizabeth's hearse as it is driven to Windsor from London. Reuters -
Members of the royal family pay their respects as the hearse carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth in London. Reuters -
The state gun carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth arrives at Wellington Arch during the ceremonial procession following her state funeral. PA -
The funeral procession marches down The Mall following the service at Westminster Abbey. AP -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried from her state funeral at Westminster Abbey. PA -
King Charles walks with Princess Anne, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as it is pulled on a gun carriage through the streets of London following her funeral service. AP -
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince George, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, stand outside Westminster Abbey after the funeral. PA -
Buckingham Palace household staff pay their respects. AFP -
Mourners pause for two minutes' silence during the funeral service in London. Reuters -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth, draped in a Royal Standard and adorned with the Imperial State Crown and the sovereign's orb and sceptre, arrives in Westminster Abbey. AP -
Prince William, his wife Catherine, the Princess of Wales, and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at Westminster Abbey. AP -
Members of the public watch the funeral from Horse Guards Road in London. PA -
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby speaking during the funeral. PA -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried into Westminster Abbey, followed by King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla for the state funeral in London. PA -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is carried by the Bearer Party into Westminster Abbey. Getty -
King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward arrive at Westminster Abbey. AFP -
Prince William and Prince Harry make their way to Westminster Abbey. PA -
The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth through central London. PA -
Members of the public on the Mall become emotional during the funeral. PA -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed on a gun carriage for her state funeral service in central London. AP -
The coffin of Queen Elizabeth leaves Westminster Hall. AP -
The Yeoman of the Guard arrive in Westminster Abbey. AP -
Guests take their seats inside Westminster Abbey in London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth. AFP -
The Royal Marines band marches to Westminster Abbey. Getty Images -
US President Joe Biden arrives for the funeral. PA -
French President Emanuel Macron and wife Brigitte walk into Westminster Abbey. PA -
Metropolitan Police Officers walk in formation down The Mall in preparation for the state funeral Of Queen Elizabeth II. Getty -
A Pearly king and queen, who raise money for charity, on the procession route in London. AFP -
People line the funeral procession route. Getty -
Mourners take a moment to rest on The Mall in London. Reuters -
At 6.28am on the day of her funeral, the final members of the public pay their respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth at the Palace of Westminster, London. PA -
London's Westminster Abbey on the day of the state funeral and burial of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters -
Black Rod, the House of Lords' senior figure, walks through Westminster Hall at 6.30am after paying her respects on the final day of the lying in state at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in London. PA -
Police on patrol in Whitehall before Queen Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey in London. EPA -
People in London camp during the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters -
Vehicles in the motorcade of US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in London. Getty Images -
US President Joe Biden accompanied by the First Lady Jill Biden signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London. PA -
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signs a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters -
The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska (R) views the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall in London. Getty Images -
Oman's Sultan Haitham arrives for a reception hosted by Britain's King Charles III for heads of state and official overseas guests, at Buckingham Palace in London, the night before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. AP -
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, arrives for a reception hosted by Britain's King Charles III for heads of state and official overseas guests, at Buckingham Palace in London, before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. AP -
Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati and his wife May sign a book of condolence at Lancaster House in London, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. PA
