Pallbearers who shouldered the physical and emotional burden of carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at her funeral have been honoured by her son King Charles III. The eight Grenadier Guards are among those recognised in a special honour’s list for the roles they played during the period of national mourning.
Lance Sergeant Alex Turner, Lance Corporal Tony Flynn, Lance Sergeant Elias Orlowski, Guardsman Fletcher Cox, Guardsman James Patterson, Lance Sergeant Ryan Griffiths, Guardsman Luke Simpson, and Guardsman David Sanderson were selected to be pallbearers from the King’s Company (then Queen’s), 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
The soldiers were named as recipients of honours under the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in recognition of their service to the Queen, as part of a special set of Demise awards.
Awards under the RVO are the King’s gift and are bestowed independently of Downing Street to people who have served the monarch or the royal family in a personal way.
The soldiers carried the coffin, which was draped in the Royal Standard, as millions of people around the world watched the ceremony last September.
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“They’ve done Her Late Majesty and the country proud.”
Carla Lockhart, Upper Bann’s DUP MP, said: “Amid the pageantry and occasion, eight young men silently went about their duty.
“The weight of the world on their shoulders, the glare of the world on them, but they were flawless.
“They did themselves, their families and our country proud. Thank you.”
