Friday 30 September 2022 06:53 PM Guardsman, 18, who walked alongside the Queen's coffin during her funeral ... trends now
A 'wonderful' young guardsman who took part in the Queen's state funeral has tragically been found dead at his barracks, MailOnline can reveal today.
Trooper Jack Burnell-Williams, 18, played a key role in the extraordinary procession guarding Her Majesty's coffin as it was carried on a majestic gun carriage from Westminster Abbey, through Whitehall, down The Mall and past Buckingham Palace to Wellington Arch earlier this month.
Police and paramedics from London Ambulance Service raced to Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, central London after the alarm was raised at 3.48pm on Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they are not treating the death as suspicious.
On the day of the Queen's funeral, the soldier's family proudly posted video footage of troops from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment taking part in the ceremony, saying that their son was 'doing his duty for the Queen on her final journey'.
But just days later devastated mother Laura, 42, posted a picture of her son, known to his family as Jak, on horseback in his ceremonial uniform and wrote in an emotional tribute on Facebook: 'Never ever thought I would be saying this but we as a family are all heartbroken with the sudden passing of our wonderful son Jak Williams yesterday.'
Trooper Burnell-Williams, who served in the Blues and Royals, is thought to be one of the Household Cavalry's newest recruits. His family from Bridgend, South Wales are planning on setting off dozens of blue balloons in his memory tomorrow.
Jak is thought to have taken part in a series of ceremonial events during the official period of mourning following the death of the Queen on September 8 - including guarding King Charles III and senior members of the Royal Family when the coffin was taken in a gun carriage procession to Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace ahead of her lying in state.
Trooper Jack Burnell-Williams (left and right) played a key role in the Queen's funeral procession
Hundreds of tributes poured in for Jak today after his mother announced her son's death
Proud mother Laura posted a series of photographs of her son in ceremonial uniform on June 8 during his passing out parade at Hyde Park barracks. In June, just a month after Jak turned 18, she also posted TV footage of her son taking part in the Trooping of the Colour as part of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, with the caption: 'One of the proudest days of my life'.
It is thought Jak, who had been a keen horse rider since his childhood days, had overcome a series of injuries to fulfil his dream of joining the elite regiment which is the second-most senior in the British Army.
As well as acting as ceremonial guard to the monarch, who is their commander in chief, the regiment operates as a frontline armoured reconnaissance unit.
Laura wrote on September 14: 'So proud of my boy accompanying his Queen on her final journey.'
He was found dead at Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge on Wednesday afternoon
During the funeral procession on September 19, Household Cavalry soldiers on horseback followed behind King Charles, and other senior Royals including Prince William and Prince Harry as they walked behind the Queen's coffin as it was hauled by gun carriage
