Tuesday 13 September 2022 07:46 AM Queens death: Ben Roberts-Smith breaks silence on being one of handful of ... trends now
Ben Roberts-Smith has opened up about his invitation to attend the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey in London, hailing Her Majesty for her personal sacrifice and 'magnificent' example.
But the Nine newspaper reporter at the centre of a defamation battle against Australia's most decorated soldier has seized on the opportunity to remind Australia about the allegations against him.
Victoria Cross recipient Mr Roberts-Smith - who is awaiting the outcome of his epic defamation 'trial of the century' against the publishing house - is one of just a handful of Australians given the exclusive invitation.
He won the Victoria Cross for storming a fortified enemy machine gun position in Afghanistan and killing three insurgents when his unit was pinned back.
The soldier, by virtue of his military service, will join officials including Anthony Albanese and the Governor-General David Hurley and a handful of celebrated Australian civilians at the service.
Among them include Danny Abdallah, the father who lost three of his children to a drunk and drugged driver in Oatlands, western Sydney, in 2020, and Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott.
But Mr Roberts-Smith's invitation was not welcomed by all.
Ben Roberts-Smith has opened up about his invitation to attend the Queen's funeral as his arch nemesis seized on the chance to remind the public about the war hero's past
Mr Roberts-Smith is one of four Australian Victoria Cross recipients Her Majesty wanted to be invited to her funeral before she died
Nine journalist Nick McKenzie, whose stories are among those that prompted the defamation action, did not miss the chance to attack Mr Roberts-Smith on twitter
The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes reporter Nick McKenzie marked the occasion by tweeting that Mr Roberts-Smith has been the 'subject of multiple ... alleged war crimes investigations by the Australian Federal Police.'
No charges have ever been laid against Mr Roberts-Smith.
Mr Roberts-Smith is suing The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times for defamation over 2018 reports claiming he committed war crimes in Afghanistan, as well as other allegations, all of which he denies.
Proceedings in the Federal Court case ended on July 27 after more than 100 days of hearings.
But that will be far from his mind when he attends the funeral next week. Mr Roberts-Smith publicly welcomed his invitation to the service by speaking publicly about the occasion he met the Queen in 2011.
The digger said it was a 'surreal' experience and that he was 'taken aback' by her 'kindness' and 'intelligence'.
He recalled to the West Australian that 'she sort of dropped her handbag on the double-seated couch and pointed for me to sit down, and I assumed that she would sit opposite me, but she sat right next to me and grabbed my arm and started talking to me about just having just flown back from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at that time.'
Mr Roberts-Smith described the late Monarch as 'magnificent', adding that she was 'stoic leader' and 'a lovely lady'.
'I have a very deep respect for Her Majesty and everything that she has sacrificed in her life and what she has achieved.'
Once the protocols were adhered to, such as bowing and official photos, Roberts-Smith remembered meeting the Queen in her private apartment as a 'surreal' experience
The celebrated but embattled ex-soldier, who is waiting the outcome of his epic defamation trial against Nine publishing, is one of only 10 Australian civilians given the exclusive invitation
Mr Roberts-Smith described the late Monarch as 'magnificent', adding that she was 'stoic leader' and 'a lovely lady
Mr Roberts-Smith is one of four Australian Victoria Cross recipients Her Majesty asked to be invited before she died.
The others were Keith Payne, Mark Donaldson and Daniel Keighran, who are all former soldiers, as well as policeman and George Cross holder Michael Pratt.
Included among the Australian civilians invited are legendary racehorse trainer Chris Waller and Valmai Dempsey, the 2022 senior Australian of the Year, who has volunteered for St John Ambulance for more than 50 years.
Dylan Alcott is one of the few Aussies who have been invited to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral
Legendary race horse trainer Chris Waller is also expected to receive a formal invite, but has said he's yet to get the official call
Dr Miriam Rose, the 2021 Senior Australian of the Year, has also been named on the attendance list.
She became the Northern Territory's first fully qualified Aboriginal teacher in 1975 and pioneered a unique brand of education, fusing Western knowledge with cultural learning.
Shanna Whan, the 2022 Australian of the Year Local Hero, will also attend. After overcoming a battle with alcohol addiction, she has dedicated her life to helping others get sober.
Protocol means only ten Aussies are able to attend, excluding dignitaries
Saba Abraham, a local hero from Queensland, has also been named by Mr Albanese to attend.
She is an Eritrean refugee and played a vital role in combatting the spread of Covid-19 as the Chairperson of the Brisbane Community Leaders Gathering.
Ms Abraham helped translate vital health updates into various languages.
Kim Smith – a local hero from Tasmania, has been given the green light to go. He oversaw the formation of Reclink, which organises sporting activities to support young people struggling with drug addiction.
Trudy Lin, the 2022 Young Australian of the Year, and one of only 20 practising specialists in Australia's Special Needs Dentistry, has also been invited.
