By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Staff of NHS will be among those who will join King Charles III, Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as other senior royals, police and members of the armed forces in a solemn procession of walking behind the Queen’s coffin as it begins its journey to Windsor after her funeral.
The royals have been supportive of the NHS, with visits to hospitals and to see NHS staff during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
The Queen is believed to have agreed arrangements for her state funeral before she died, and wanted to include members of the public as well as the expected heads of state, aristocracy and politicians.
Similar procession took place on Wednesday, when the Queen’s casket was conveyed from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall to lie in state.
Nearly 200 key workers and volunteers recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list have been invited to attend the service at Westminster Abbey, Downing Street has said.
The 183 everyday heroes will be part of a 2,000-strong congregation gathered at the historic church for the final farewell to the long-reigning monarch.
They include an 88-year-old woman who records talking books for the blind, the Cabinet Office said.
Ella Marks, from London, attended George VI’s coronation on her father’s shoulders on The Mall in 1937.
Another invitee is Natalie Queiroz, from Birmingham, who teaches children about the dangers of knife crime.
Others include a man from Essex who runs a charity that helps to pay for veterans’ funerals, a woman from London who set up a charity to help adults deal with grief, and a woman from North Shields who built a play centre for disabled children.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “I can confirm that among the guests who have been invited to attend will be almost 200 people who were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours this year, that was in June.
“These individuals drawn from across the UK were recognised for their extraordinary contributions in areas including the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, people who volunteered in their communities, charity workers and those who work in healthcare, education and the wider public sector.”
Buckingham Palace has not released a full guest list but several hundred dignitaries from around the world will travel to London to pay their last respects to the Queen in what is set to be one of the biggest logistical and diplomatic events in the UK in decades.
US President Joe Biden will be attending, with new Prime Minister Liz Truss hoping to hold private meetings with him and other visiting world leaders.
