Coffin bearers at queen's funeral draw calls for medals and knighthoods

The eight soldiers were serving in Iraq when the monarch died and returned to prepare for the funeral

King Charles III follows behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre on top, as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her state funeral. Reuters

The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth travels down the Long Walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the Committal Service at St George's Chapel. AP

Pall bearers carry the coffin into St. George's Chapel, in Windsor. AP

A Royal Guard stands by floral tributes at Windsor Castle. AFP

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is pulled on a gun carriage by Royal Navy sailors to Westminster Abbey. Getty Images

Prince William and Prince Harry follow the coffin of the queen after her state funeral in Westminster Abbey. AP

Emma, the monarch's fell pony, stands as Queen Elizabeth's coffin passes at Windsor Castle. PA

Members of the royal household stand with Queen Elizabeth's Corgis, Muick and Sandy, as they await the funeral cortege at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. AP

Catherine, Princess of Wales, attends the state funeral service in London. AFP

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth is pulled along The Mall following her funeral service in Westminster Abbey. AP

Flowers thrown by the public lie on the hearse carrying the coffin as it arrives at Windsor Castle. AP

King Charles at the state funeral in London. Reuters

People sleep before the funeral service at Westminster Abbey. AFP

A giant screen honouring the late queen at Piccadilly Circus in London. EPA

King Charles looks towards the coffin of his mother at Westminster Abbey. Getty Images

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, sitting in a car as a British flag is reflected in its window. AFP

Buckingham Palace household staff return through the gates of the palace after paying their respects. AFP

Staff Sergeant Yeoman Darren Fowler, right, and Captain Rebecca Cooper from the Royal Signals at the Elizabeth Tower, checking that Big Ben Chimes in time with gunfire during the state funeral procession. EPA

King Charles salutes as he is driven past Wellington Arch in London. Getty Images

The London skyline is seen as the procession moves down The Mall. Getty Images

The coffin of the queen is pulled on a gun carriage by Royal Navy sailors from Westminster Abbey. Getty Images

Princess Charlotte arrives by car ahead of the funeral in central London. AP

The coffin is carried into St George's Chapel for the Committal Service, in Windsor Castle. AP

A woman cries in London's Hyde Park while watching the funeral service. AP

Prince George looks towards his father Prince William during the Committal Service at St George's Chapel. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth's coffin is driven along the Long Walk towards Windsor Castle. Reuters

People waiting along the route that the coffin will be pulled on a gun carriage in central London. AP

King Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla follow the coffin at St George's Chapel. AP

The Royal State Hearse arrives at Windsor Castle. Getty Images

King Charles follows the State Gun Carriage as it carries the coffin at Westminster Abbey. PA

Members of the public gather to see the coffin as it travels from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch in London. Getty Images

King Charles and members of the royal family follow behind the coffin as it is carried into Westminster Abbey. PA

The Imperial State Crown resting on the coffin. Getty Images

The hearse transporting the coffin is covered in flowers thrown by the public. AFP

The Bearer Party of The Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards carries the coffin from Westminster Abbey. AFP

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