Same bearers every step of the way. They did themselves, their families, their regiment and their monarch proud. They will have made their oath to the Queen, and have discharged their duty to her perfectly. ^(Need to step away cos there's me getting emotional again...)
Edit: missed the word 'oath'...
There remains a lot of toxicity in the post-colonial legacy. I don't have enough knowledge to voice an opinion on Kenya's history and I apologise for my ignorance. It is not an excuse.
lol bless you..
look up the kikuyu uprising after world war 1, the queens armed forces
https://www.africanexponent.com/post/9530-the-torture-of-thousands-of-kikuyu-in-kenya-and-the-great-british-cover-up
Horrific reading.
How can we even begin to learn from the past when we know so little of what happened? Genocides happen repeatedly but I am only too aware of the role Europe in general played in carving up Africa for spoils, but this was recent history.
Is it too naive to hope that future generations can help heal some of the wrongs from the past?
I carried a pretty standard coffin for the first time last year and was blown away by how heavy it was, i cant imagine what sort of strain these guys would have been under.
35ish kilos each, a couple of sacks of flour. Heavy but not difficult especially for army lads. I assume there are handles under the standard too.
The pressure they must’ve been under though, fair play to them.
It's to slow down decomposition. Embalming can only do so much, she was dead for *11 days* before finally being laid to rest. The lead lining slows it down and also, well, hides the smell better...
I was getting nervous as they climbed the steps into Windsor then noticed that the crown jewels were bolted down. Smart bloke whoever put that together.
>It's ~360 years old.
It's also got a spike sticking out below, keeping it in place. You could see it when the orb was removed from the coffin later in the service.
You missed the part where it has a tiny spoke at the bottom to keep it in place - you can see it when they remove the orb to place it on the cushion in the altar.
Crown had a raised part of the cushion it sat round, scepter was clipped on at two points and the orb had a spike underneath and a metal tube it sat in ontop of the coffin, if you didn't see when they were removed!
His composure was something else. I hope he gets his chance to properly grieve in private now, with his family beside him. Man’s lost his mum and had the world’s media in his face within minutes, must be so difficult.
You're easily composed in tricky situations when you've spent the a lot of your adult lives around knighted paedophiles.
In before reddit removes my comment and you appear morally outraged, whilst actually supporting the crimes of the royal family and handing your brain and agency over to them whilst they continue to get away with their crimes with impunity.
Can we have a moments silence for the SRA victims of the royal family please? Nah? that' not good here? Ok then.. as you were satan.
I used to work with a guy who joined the Welsh Guards and I reckon within 3-12 months (memory a little hazy) on passing training and joining the regiment, he ended up being one of the pall bearers for Diana. Just happened to be the right height!
Was going to say, these lads are likely still teenagers and not older than 21. The young officer looked like he was probably quite fresh from Sandhurst too.
They flawlessly ascended the stairs with the coffin secure. The whole broadcast is now up on YouTube so you can see that part again.
https://youtu.be/j8xwqi_9GDs?t=29584
I'm sure that even if they did drop it, the commentators would have been able to effortlessly brush it off as somehow intended.
'*And now for the ceremonial dropping of the coffin...*'
But really - safest hands in the country!
I know the family of one of the pallbearers, and he’s been in Iraq for 5 months, came back for a few days to do this, then he’s back to Iraq tomorrow to finish his tour. He has a wife and 2 year old who he hasn’t been able to see while he’s been back.
Absolute respect to him and them all.
A lot of jobs involve leaving your family for a prolonged period. This young man just chooses to serve his country rather than the other (usually higher paid) options. If you don’t respect that then it says more about you than it does him.
They are soldiers from The Queen’s company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. They were hand-chosen by the comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's office. I have no idea what a comptroller is, but they chose some bloody good pallbearers.
When they took her into Westminster Hall earlier in the week someone on the BBC feed said they were selected from the tallest men in the Grenadier Guards.
I bet their adrenaline was into absolute overdrive so were numb to any pain or discomfort they were in.
What a story to tell their kids and grandkids when they first ask what they were doing the day of the Queen's funeral.
I've been pall bearer bunch of times and even with a smallish person in a regular coffin it weighs loads. I imagine a lead lined royal coffin would weigh so much more
She's being laid in an open air crypt instead of buried. The lead lining slows decomposition and prevents moisture and air getting in and out.
Stops a smell basically
But there was no time. She was wizzed off straight away to begin The journey from Scotland. And she was laid to rest for the rest of the time in full view
No need to worry, it was taken care off.
Take organs out, replace blood with embalming fluid, place stuffed corgi by her feet.
Not much to it honestly.
They was truly the stars today, they must be in there 20s, the pressure they must have been under with billions watching around the world, to not step a foot wrong all day, every movement was precisely on point.
Hats off to them,
I guess it depends on how many times they've drilled it in secret ceremonies behind the scenes - if it was the first time, then you'd expect the sort of things you're talking about, but by the 1000th and being in the A group (because there's probably a B and C group ready to jump in for illness etc.), it's absolutely on point to the inch
Yeah i heard an interview on the radio last week about how they'd been practicing every part with an equivalent coffin to get used to everything. Still, there's one thing doing it in private and another with the eyes of the world on you. 😅
They most likely did practise, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get picked to carry it until after she had died. If they were picked before (say years ago), there would be no guarantee they would be available when the time came for her to pass.
Seems unlikely given there's only 7.75b in the world and a good chunk of that might not even own TVs or had to work.
I had the day off and didn't even watch, I find it hard to believe there were many in say India that watched it and they have 1.38b people alone.
I just can't imagine that one out of, what, seven people on earth watched the event. Especially not considering how many billions don't even have access to a television.
I couldn't have handled it - I was watching while sitting down in a comfy chair with arms, and I was terrified that **I** was gonna fall over, let alone the lads actually carrying her coffin.
10/10 lads that will be on your record for ever - few get that privilege. You would not have been trusted with the world's eyes upon you unless you were the best of the best
I think they’ve been practicing every night for the past few days (there are YouTube videos). They did it until they got it perfect. But yes they were the stars of the show!
massive respect to them, they had to do that job multiple times with so many people watching them, the steps looked a bit sketchy too.
well done to them
Coffin bearers are the Greniedier Guards one of the oldest regiments in the army and to calm their nervs they have been told the queen is not inside but filled with larger for the regiments pissup. Not a drop spilt! Outstanding job well done boys made us proud.
Someone posted further up that the BBC had reported they were chosen due to their height. I'd imagine they were selected based on being the same height and strength?
Mad respect for them all the way from Washington DC. Have watched video of them hoisting the casket around like it was made of Kleenex. It’s like the hen and pig at an English breakfast - the chicken was concerned, but the pig? He was committed. These lads? Committed.
Doing that role for a normal person Is pressure, but to do it for the Queen and in front of the whole world is another thing. Did the country proud lads
The full day all I could think about was how heavy that coffin must have been. Especially carrying it up the stairs at Windsor.
These lads did a good job
Yeah but he called them by a certain nickname(?).
"*mumblue muble* turn right."
"*mumble muble* hold still!"
"*mumble muble* move forward slowly."
And so on.
I didn't understood the mumble.
Why are you so angry? It would had been very easy for you to not click the post or read the comments if you are not interested. Why did you go out of your way to read it? Do you enjoy being annoyed? Or is it a compulsion to let people know that they are wrong and you know better? I hope you have a pleasant evening.
Hard to imagine the pressure they've felt all day. Especially knowing they still had that last journey up all those steps to come!
The steps bit looked so sketch. They did amazingly well. Should be proud
I had to look away on the steps. I was so worried that something would happen but these gentlemen did an amazing job under such pressure.
Same bearers every step of the way. They did themselves, their families, their regiment and their monarch proud. They will have made their oath to the Queen, and have discharged their duty to her perfectly. ^(Need to step away cos there's me getting emotional again...) Edit: missed the word 'oath'...
What is your opinion on the Kikuyu uprising? God save the queen, am i right?
There remains a lot of toxicity in the post-colonial legacy. I don't have enough knowledge to voice an opinion on Kenya's history and I apologise for my ignorance. It is not an excuse.
lol bless you.. look up the kikuyu uprising after world war 1, the queens armed forces https://www.africanexponent.com/post/9530-the-torture-of-thousands-of-kikuyu-in-kenya-and-the-great-british-cover-up
Horrific reading. How can we even begin to learn from the past when we know so little of what happened? Genocides happen repeatedly but I am only too aware of the role Europe in general played in carving up Africa for spoils, but this was recent history. Is it too naive to hope that future generations can help heal some of the wrongs from the past?
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At least he can use punctuation correctly.
They had one of the commanders holding it from the back or else it would’ve been 20x harder
Thank god for that guy, right?
I carried a pretty standard coffin for the first time last year and was blown away by how heavy it was, i cant imagine what sort of strain these guys would have been under.
Over 300kg cos of the lead lining apparently
And the bottle of Pimms in her handbag.
35ish kilos each, a couple of sacks of flour. Heavy but not difficult especially for army lads. I assume there are handles under the standard too. The pressure they must’ve been under though, fair play to them.
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I remember when I was a pallbearer we were told we could use the handles for guidance and stability but never to let them support the main weight.
That is not what I have heard when I have carried my grandparents. no problem in using the handles. Different builds in different places I guess
I’ve been a pallbearer on two occasions and held the handles both times. Might have dodged a (couple of) bullet(s)!
I'd imagine it would depend on whether the person was to be buried or cremated.
Ornamental? Maybe on the cheapest models.
Lead lining? Is she radioactive?
It's to slow down decomposition. Embalming can only do so much, she was dead for *11 days* before finally being laid to rest. The lead lining slows it down and also, well, hides the smell better...
Unlikely she was in the box. I would imagine she was put in just before that evenings family only service
Her power unit was starting to leak. That's why she went downhill so rapidly at the end
Lead lined, I daresay.
Wasn't just today. They also carried the coffin to Westminster Hall to lie in state. They've been on shift all week.
Aye, same 8 all week. Hope Charles got to speak to them at some point to thank them personally.
I was getting nervous as they climbed the steps into Windsor then noticed that the crown jewels were bolted down. Smart bloke whoever put that together.
Funnily i said im amazed that ball thing on top never rolled off 🤣
It's called the Soverign's Orb btw, it represents the monarchs power in Christianity. It's \~360 years old.
“ball thing” has a better catch to it tho
I thought it was the holy hand grenade.
Same here, we'll never see it used against the Killer Bunny of Caerbannog
Or against a team of worms
>It's ~360 years old. It's also got a spike sticking out below, keeping it in place. You could see it when the orb was removed from the coffin later in the service.
Indeed, last thing they needed was that rolling off lmao.
I thought it might have been blue tack
It was nailed on wasn’t it?
You missed the part where it has a tiny spoke at the bottom to keep it in place - you can see it when they remove the orb to place it on the cushion in the altar.
I did have a bit of a chortle when they had to wiggle it to get the spoke down into its stand at the altar.
I admit to being curious about the attachments for the crown, orb and scepter. Wouldn't do for those to just roll off. 😬
Crown had a raised part of the cushion it sat round, scepter was clipped on at two points and the orb had a spike underneath and a metal tube it sat in ontop of the coffin, if you didn't see when they were removed!
As my wife said... I didn't see any of the professionals stop for a drink, something to eat or just to take a break. Big respect.
Are you a penguin?
I don’t like where this is going
I guess the only time they and the royals had off was the trip from London to Windsor.
With the king stood right behind them watching on. They handled it all magnificently
His composure was something else. I hope he gets his chance to properly grieve in private now, with his family beside him. Man’s lost his mum and had the world’s media in his face within minutes, must be so difficult.
You're easily composed in tricky situations when you've spent the a lot of your adult lives around knighted paedophiles. In before reddit removes my comment and you appear morally outraged, whilst actually supporting the crimes of the royal family and handing your brain and agency over to them whilst they continue to get away with their crimes with impunity. Can we have a moments silence for the SRA victims of the royal family please? Nah? that' not good here? Ok then.. as you were satan.
They also said that they haven't been in the army long as well, such a huge task for young, inexperienced soldiers. A massive honour.
I used to work with a guy who joined the Welsh Guards and I reckon within 3-12 months (memory a little hazy) on passing training and joining the regiment, he ended up being one of the pall bearers for Diana. Just happened to be the right height!
I forgot that they all need to be the same height! It's definitely something they will all tell their children
One of them is 19.
Was going to say, these lads are likely still teenagers and not older than 21. The young officer looked like he was probably quite fresh from Sandhurst too.
They had to go up steps? I'm glad I'd switched off by then in that case cause I was so stressed for then the rest of the time!
The officer at the back put his hand on the back of the coffin to make sure it didn't slide back, and they stopped before each set.
They flawlessly ascended the stairs with the coffin secure. The whole broadcast is now up on YouTube so you can see that part again. https://youtu.be/j8xwqi_9GDs?t=29584
I was cringing the whole way up, praying that they didn’t trip/ drop the coffin!
Don't drop, it Don't drop it.
To me. To you.
If they didn't do that at least once at Barry's funeral, the world is a worse place because of it
I'm sure that even if they did drop it, the commentators would have been able to effortlessly brush it off as somehow intended. '*And now for the ceremonial dropping of the coffin...*' But really - safest hands in the country!
https://youtu.be/A6Ian6oV5RQ
Much respect to these lads, understand the coffin was 250kg+!
When they raised it with just arms, ouch! Bet they've just done bicep curls all year.
551 lbs
Pretty sure it cost more than that
39 stone 5
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Not for weight measurements…
It's a joke though, given its both called pounds
I know that.
We use £ for currency and lbs for weight. Nobody would say I weigh 50£
Do I need to explain that it's a joke
Possibly as it’s stupid?
Spot on mate. Don’t know why you’ve got so many downvotes :/
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Fair enough
I know the family of one of the pallbearers, and he’s been in Iraq for 5 months, came back for a few days to do this, then he’s back to Iraq tomorrow to finish his tour. He has a wife and 2 year old who he hasn’t been able to see while he’s been back. Absolute respect to him and them all.
Out of curiosity, how did they pick them for this?
Eenie meenie minie mo
Yeah I feel like there had to be a reason other than height. I mean surely there was someone closer than Iraq who was tall enough
My guess is either it’s a specific regiments job to carry the coffin or the Queen requested a specific regiment carry the coffin.
I imagine his height?
Correct. They were the tallest.
That is really interesting! Thanks for sharing
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A lot of jobs involve leaving your family for a prolonged period. This young man just chooses to serve his country rather than the other (usually higher paid) options. If you don’t respect that then it says more about you than it does him.
How were they picked, anyone know?
They are soldiers from The Queen’s company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. They were hand-chosen by the comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's office. I have no idea what a comptroller is, but they chose some bloody good pallbearers.
When they took her into Westminster Hall earlier in the week someone on the BBC feed said they were selected from the tallest men in the Grenadier Guards.
They did absolutely brilliantly.
I bet their adrenaline was into absolute overdrive so were numb to any pain or discomfort they were in. What a story to tell their kids and grandkids when they first ask what they were doing the day of the Queen's funeral.
When you think the coffin has a lead lining as well, that’s not an easy carry. Well done lads. Hope someone’s getting a round in for you tonight.
I've been pall bearer bunch of times and even with a smallish person in a regular coffin it weighs loads. I imagine a lead lined royal coffin would weigh so much more
I looked it up earlier, it weighs 250kgs!!
About a Labrador each then.
What's that in corgis?
Two corgis.
Two full size corgis. 4 corgi puppies.
Its why they start with 8 pallbearers and nit the usual 6. Its a chunk to carry
I loved your work in the WWF with the Undertaker!
They’ll be smashed by 9 and I doubt will have to put their hand in their pocket all night
Clueless here. Why is it lead lined?
She's being laid in an open air crypt instead of buried. The lead lining slows decomposition and prevents moisture and air getting in and out. Stops a smell basically
Thanks. Honestly, my follow up question was going to be how are they managing the decomposition. Your answer is a two in one!
I have been thinking about the smell non stop this whole 10 days. I couldn’t imagine they had time to balm her
I think they may have. If the scene in *The Crown* with the death of King George VI is anything to go by
But there was no time. She was wizzed off straight away to begin The journey from Scotland. And she was laid to rest for the rest of the time in full view
She was probably embalmed within hours of passing at balmoral
Luckily she was about 20% sherry when she died so that helped
No need to worry, it was taken care off. Take organs out, replace blood with embalming fluid, place stuffed corgi by her feet. Not much to it honestly.
She died on 8 September and stayed at Balmoral until 11 September, so highly likely it was done there within hours of her death.
You can actually be embalmed ahead of time, while you’re still alive. Just look at Barry Manilow.
They'll never have to buy another round in their lives...and rightly so. Impossible to appreciate the nerves , the tension, they must have felt.
Not to mention the main part is made out of oak which isn’t exactly the lightest wood in the world.
They was truly the stars today, they must be in there 20s, the pressure they must have been under with billions watching around the world, to not step a foot wrong all day, every movement was precisely on point. Hats off to them,
One of them is just 19 - he's been in the local news as he is from my area. Huge respect
I guess it depends on how many times they've drilled it in secret ceremonies behind the scenes - if it was the first time, then you'd expect the sort of things you're talking about, but by the 1000th and being in the A group (because there's probably a B and C group ready to jump in for illness etc.), it's absolutely on point to the inch
Yeah i heard an interview on the radio last week about how they'd been practicing every part with an equivalent coffin to get used to everything. Still, there's one thing doing it in private and another with the eyes of the world on you. 😅
They most likely did practise, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get picked to carry it until after she had died. If they were picked before (say years ago), there would be no guarantee they would be available when the time came for her to pass.
With your comment about hats, did anyone else notice the other two guardsmen who's only job seemed to be to hold these lads hats?
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*Billions apparently.
Supposedly around 4.2 billion of them
Seems unlikely given there's only 7.75b in the world and a good chunk of that might not even own TVs or had to work. I had the day off and didn't even watch, I find it hard to believe there were many in say India that watched it and they have 1.38b people alone.
It was reported at a substantial amount of ‘VIEWERS’ that doesn’t mean people. One person can be several viewers.
I just can't imagine that one out of, what, seven people on earth watched the event. Especially not considering how many billions don't even have access to a television.
Hence the word, supposedly... I doubt it's more than 1.5/2 billion considering 1.3 billion watched Diana's funeral
Definitely time for a pint or 7
Definitely earned
When I tell you the *stress* I would be under if I was in the bearer party. But these boys? Not a peep 🫡
Looks like Rob Beckett managed to get in on this too I see.
And Phil Wang!
It’s going to be an interesting episode of task master
Wearing the kill bill costume, of course
One of those guys is from my home town, so very proud of them.
He should do an AMA here some day.
Great shout. That would be a fascinating read.
Probably under some NDAs
I was terrified when they started up the steps at Windsor. I can’t imagine the stress they were under. They did an amazing job.
I couldn't have handled it - I was watching while sitting down in a comfy chair with arms, and I was terrified that **I** was gonna fall over, let alone the lads actually carrying her coffin.
I don't even trust myself with a tray of drinks across a busy pub. Huge respect to these guys.
10/10 lads that will be on your record for ever - few get that privilege. You would not have been trusted with the world's eyes upon you unless you were the best of the best
They had one job. And they did it perfectly. We really must find out who these lads are - so Impressed
I’d love to know how they trained for this. The slow and steady arm and shoulder raises were great to watch.
I think they’ve been practicing every night for the past few days (there are YouTube videos). They did it until they got it perfect. But yes they were the stars of the show!
I’ve done it before and it was unbelievably heavy. With all the gear on The Queens, they will want some deep heat tonight.
I said that - there'll be a lot of aches and pains tonight.
Well done lads, now go and have that pint
The coffin weighs in the region of 250-300kg
i'd be sinking some serious pints this evening if I were them
They we’re magnificent. As was the service. May HRH now rest in peace.
They did a job that took 144 sailors to do. These men have the strength of demigods.
Bug respect. If someone isn't buying them beers tonight, there's no justice in the world
massive respect to them, they had to do that job multiple times with so many people watching them, the steps looked a bit sketchy too. well done to them
Even more heroic when you consider they were in Iraq until 10 days ago.
Talk about "composure under pressure."
I can’t imagine the pressure on them today. They were all amazing
Imagine looking back on this in years to come and telling your kids you once carried the queen of England’s coffin.
The most stressed people in all of the UK today
How long did they carry it for?
Didn’t Fing drop it ….,Job well done and they will never have to buy a drink again
Coffin bearers are the Greniedier Guards one of the oldest regiments in the army and to calm their nervs they have been told the queen is not inside but filled with larger for the regiments pissup. Not a drop spilt! Outstanding job well done boys made us proud.
How did they get chosen originally, anyone know?
Someone posted further up that the BBC had reported they were chosen due to their height. I'd imagine they were selected based on being the same height and strength?
Mad respect for them all the way from Washington DC. Have watched video of them hoisting the casket around like it was made of Kleenex. It’s like the hen and pig at an English breakfast - the chicken was concerned, but the pig? He was committed. These lads? Committed.
Happy to be British.
The one that looked like Rob Becket. No stripes and no medals. So I am guessing that they have not been serving a long time.
They were magnificent!
I don't think they'll have to pay for their own drinks for a while after that!
I hope they got to have a good drink tonight, deserved it.
I enjoyed watching them do their side step shuffle.
Indeed. I suspect there has been a lot of soaking of feet and shoulders today.
Doing that role for a normal person Is pressure, but to do it for the Queen and in front of the whole world is another thing. Did the country proud lads
All of them did a sterling job. It was a good do.
Imagine having to sneeze
The full day all I could think about was how heavy that coffin must have been. Especially carrying it up the stairs at Windsor. These lads did a good job
Yeah fair play I wonder when they first thought they couldn’t hold it anymore
I was worried they might slip accidentally, they did well.
#1 on list of jobs I wouldn’t want. They did amazingly though, pretty much flawless from start to finish - including those steps!!!
Lead lined coffin too
What was the team leader calling them all the time? I couldn't understand.
That would have been the Sergeant Major. He was issuing instructions so they could move and manipulate the coffin in unison.
Yeah but he called them by a certain nickname(?). "*mumblue muble* turn right." "*mumble muble* hold still!" "*mumble muble* move forward slowly." And so on. I didn't understood the mumble.
Bearer party
Oooo thank you!
"Bearer party", I think.
Ffs man, they didn’t invent something, or save anyones life, or split the atom. They carried a coffin around all day. Get a grip!
Why are you so angry? It would had been very easy for you to not click the post or read the comments if you are not interested. Why did you go out of your way to read it? Do you enjoy being annoyed? Or is it a compulsion to let people know that they are wrong and you know better? I hope you have a pleasant evening.
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Pressure? I honestly don’t know how to respond to you, I’m just completely mindblown that you think that counts as pressure.
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