The mother of one of the Queen’s pallbearers said she was beyond proud of her son and had no idea that he would be carrying Her Majesty’s coffin until she saw images of the rehearsal online.
David Sanderson, from Morpeth, Northumberland, was one of the eight soldiers from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards to be chosen to carry the Queen’s 500lb lead-lined coffin, but David’s commitment to his solemn responsibility was that he didn’t breathe a word to his parents or younger brother.
Instead, they only found out about his involvement when pictures of the funeral rehearsals were published by a newspaper out.
David’s mother Carolyn expressed her pride when she discovered her 19-year-old son had been chosen for such an immense responsibility, and she said that she was beyond proud, that it had been amazing, and that she still can’t believe it happened.
She said that they didn’t actually know anything because it was all private to the army and that they were looking at some pictures of the rehearsal and her husband said that the picture of one of the lads looked like their David.
She said that she looked and said that it was, and it was just wonderful and that she believes that she’s uncovered a new emotion, and seeing him on the television going into Westminster Abbey was just amazing and that all the lads were brilliant, it was perfect.
David attended King Edward VI secondary school in Morpeth before leaving at 16 to enter the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.
By the time he was 17 he was stationed at the regimental headquarters of the Grenadier Guards at Wellington barracks, first joining the second battalion.
He then moved to the first battalion, the Queen’s Division, like his late grandfather John.
His father, Peter, 56, said that the Grenadiers was in his blood, and that was all he ever wanted to do. His grandfather served with the Queen’s Company, joining in 1958, so David was extremely knowledgeable of the history of the regiment.
His father said that he wasn’t actually following in anyone’s footsteps, he’s his own man with his own dreams and he wanted to be part of the history and prestige of the Queen’s Company, and that when he got in, he could never have imagined he’d end up performing that special assignment, but that he has and it’s an accomplishment he can now be proud of for the rest of his life.
The Queen’s coffin is made of English oak and lined with lead, which is a traditional construction which makes it very very heavy.
The Queen’s coffin was moved several times ahead of the date, and using lead to line the coffin stops air and moisture from building up, aiding preservation, and airtight coffins are especially necessary when someone is laid to rest above ground.
It’s believed that the Queen’s coffin was built about 30 years ago alongside the Duke of Edinburgh’s, and it’s understood that the Queen and all members of the Royal Family have coffins made while they’re still alive so that there’s no delay, the coffin is already there.
The concept of the lead lining can be traced back to the Victorian era when it was necessary to protect bodies in an airtight sealed coffin for the benefit of the departed and the public when they’re laid to rest above ground.
Most people are buried underground, but if you have a coffin crypt or a family chamber in a church, then that coffin remains above ground and open to the elements, so a sealed coffin is extremely important.
Nevertheless, it must be said that the soldiers did their duty and they did it so beautifully, and all the pallbearer’s families must have been overflowing with pride. Well done chaps, you did an absolutely fantastic job. They all carried the coffin as a team and they did it amazingly well.
These soldiers were selected for a very specific job and they should all be honoured in an appropriate way to honour this sad but historic time. They were amazing and the pride of Great Britain and it’s a pity some of today’s youths can’t look at these lads and use them as role models, and what a wonderful story to be able to tell your children, and grandchildren.
This lad has a maturity exceeding his years and respected confidentiality and is so different from most social media-obsessed millennials, and these young men should be so very proud of themselves. They did a sterling job at such a young age. You could see on their faces they were proud of themselves, but you could also see their nerves – give them a medal, they deserve it.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 