Pallbearers of Queen’s coffin recognised in special honours list

Eight pallbearers who carried the late Queen’s coffin at her funeral are among those to be recognised in a special honours list.

The soldiers – who were selected to be pallbearers from the King’s Company (then Queen’s), 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards – have been awarded the silver Royal Victorian Medal.

They 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.

RVO gifts are bestowed by the King to people who have served the monarch or the Royal Family in a personal way.

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 carried the coffin as millions of people watched the funeral last September.

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The unit had a close connection with the Queen – as the serving monarch she held the position of company commander and made a personal review of the company every decade.

Also recognised in the special honours list are the Queen’s closest adviser, Angela Kelly, and pallbearers who carried the Queen’s coffin at her lying-in-rest in Edinburgh.

Ms Kelly, the Queen’s personal assistant, adviser and curator, worked for the monarch for more than 25 years and was made a Commander of the RVO.

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During the COVID lockdown, Ms Kelly was thought to be part of a small group dubbed “HMS Bubble” that the Queen isolated with.

Ms Kelly once disclosed in an interview: “We are two typical women. We discuss clothes, make-up, jewellery.”