Sailors from the armed service
were given the honour of pulling the late monarch’s coffin on a carriage
following the service at Westminster Abbey.
They escorted her in
procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, at Hyde Park Corner.
The route was lined with
police officers and military personnel, with gun salutes firing and the
Elizabeth Tower – also known as Big Ben – tolling at one-minute intervals as
the procession moved through the streets of London.
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The Royal Navy had the honour of pulling the gun carriage
Now, one of those gun carriage
members has broken his silence on his role at the historic event.
A post has been shared on the
official Instagram page for the Royal Navy, which reads: “My dad said to
me: ‘You’ll be marching in the footsteps of your grandfather’ and that really
hit me.
“I would like to think
that my grandfather was looking down watching, and feeling as proud as me and
my family.”
It is credited to Weapons
Engineer, Joe McGonagle-Turner.
The Queen’s coffin was carried
on a 123-year-old gun carriage and pulled by some 98 Royal Navy sailors for the
two-mile procession. A further 40 members marched behind the vehicle – which
weighed around two-and-a-half tonnes – to act as brakes.
The Queen had a special
connection to the Navy. Her father, King George VI, served with them before and
during World War I.
In 2017, the Queen gave a
personal speech while standing on HMS Queen Elizabeth at the ship’s
commissioning ceremony.
“As the daughter, wife
and mother of naval officers, I recognise the unique demands our nation asks of
you and I will always value my special link with HMS Queen Elizabeth, her
ship’s company and their families,” she said at the time.
