Tuesday 20 September 2022 02:41 AM Queen's pallbearers ended epic 12-hour shift by helping in vaults of St ... trends now

The steady-shouldered soldiers who yesterday won the hearts of the nation by safely carrying the Queens' coffin during her funeral finished their incredible shift with an unseen but incredibly important task.

With the eyes of the world on them, the nine soldiers from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards raised and put down the Queen's 500lb lead-lined coffin no less than 10 times on her journey from Westminster Hall to St George's Chapel in Windsor.

That task alone, which saw them at one point lift the coffin up the steep stairs of the 450-year-old chapel, was enough to earn them high praise - with admirers across Britain declaring: 'They have done our nation and Her Majesty proud.'

But after the cameras had switched off and the Queen's coffin had been lowered into the vault where her beloved Prince Philip lies, the hero guardsmen had one more task - perhaps the most important of the day.

According to General The Lord Dannatt, the UK's former Chief of the General Staff, their final task was to move the Queen into her final resting place next to her beloved Prince Philip - 11 days after her death in Balmoral.

Singling them out for praise in a comment piece to The Daily Telegraph in which he lauded the Armed Forces personnel for their involved in yesterday's funeral, he wrote: 'These young guardsmen deserve particular praise. 

'Even when the cameras are switched off at the end of the day and the final private service of committal is being held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, their duty will not be over.

'Deep in the Royal Vault under the chapel, the pallbearers will have one final unseen duty — to move the late Queen’s body to its final resting place close to her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, and to her father, King George VI. 

Once all is complete, then these young men too can relax and reflect on their very difficult job, extremely well done.'

The eight soldiers, at least five of whom were just weeks ago were serving in Iraq, were from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. At the front, leading in exemplary fashion, was Company Sergeant Major Dean Jones. 

The tall warrant officer, resplendent in a ceremonial red tunic, walked ahead of Her Majesty's oak coffin which weighed over 500lb due to its lead lining.

The married father of one marshalled his young team of pallbearers, which included 19-year-old Fletcher Cox.

The teenager, from Jersey, was at the back of the coffin both during yesterday's funeral and during the procession of the Queen's casket from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall - where the late Monarch lay in state for four days.

Cox was part of his school's Army Cadet Force and was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's medal in 2018 - the highest honour a Jersey cadet can be given. 

He left the Channel island at the age of 16 to attend a military training college in the UK and is now in the ranks of the Grenadier Guards.

Laura Therin, a staff sergeant with Jersey's Army Cadet Force, told ITV last week that his former instructors were delighted and proud of everything he's achieved since then:

She said: 'We were all quite astounded - seeing him wasn't something any of us were expecting, but we're all so incredibly proud of Fletcher and his achievements.

'I've known Fletcher since he first started with the Cadets. He always was a very organised young man who lived and breathed Cadets.

'He always knew he wanted to go into that line of work - it always was his passion, and it's so great to see that paying off.'

The world held its breath as the eight soldiers inched their way meticulously up the steep steps of St George's Chapel, in Windsor, yesterday carrying the 96-year-old's monarch on their shoulders. 

But their day had begun much earlier, even before their first public appearance at 10.30am when they emerged from Westminster Hall - where the Queen had been lying in state for four days.

They seamlessly transferred her coffin on to  gun carriage, which carried the late Monarch to the state funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Once outside, the soldiers sprang into action once again to carry the coffin up the aisle of Westminster Abbey for the service.

Without a hint of a slip-up they then transferred the coffin out of the Abbey and back on to the carriage, where it was moved in procession up The Mall and Constitution Hill to Wellington Arch.

With their enormous task not yet completed, the soldiers returned again to move the coffin into a hearse to be driven to Windsor, where they took on perhaps their most difficult task of the day - carrying the coffin up the steps to the more than 500-year-old St George's Chapel.

After the coffin had descended, the soldiers then were ready once more, helping to move Her Majesty into her final resting place, beside her beloved Prince Philip, who died last April, and with her father George VI, her mother Elizabeth and sister Margaret.

That final job took place late into yesterday evening, with the Royal Family holding a private ceremony - after a day of public spectacle - in the vault under St George's Chapel.

With that event only starting at 7.30pm, and their shift presumably starting sometime before 10.30pm, it means the pallbearers could have been involved in yesterday's proceedings for up to 12 hours.