A Nottinghamshire man has made his ‘community proud’ as one of the coffin bearers at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Luke Simpson, from Selston, made his village proud as he carried the monarch on her final journey on Monday, September 19.
Soldiers from the Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards were responsible for carrying the coffin from Westminster Hall to a gun carriage, before taking it to its spot in Westminster Abbey. Villagers in Selston told Nottinghamshire Live how proud they of were of Luke.
Resident, Jeanette Barratt, who is a cleaner and works at a bar, praised Luke for his ambition and says it will stick with him for the rest of life. The 58-year-old said: “It's amazing, I just saw it on a Facebook post, someone from Selston.
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"Good on you, great ambition, this will be with him for the rest of his life, a wonderful memory that will stay with him. I’m sure his parents are proud.”
Another resident in the village, Dawn Hodgkinson, 70, highlighted how much of a fantastic job the soldiers did. Dawn said: “I thought every one of them deserved a medal. Well-deserved all of them. The strength to do all the walking, absolutely fantastic, They did a marvellous job.”
Soldiers were also tasked with moving the coffin to a hearse so it could be driven to Windsor. Once there, eight guards helped carry the Queen towards St George's Chapel, navigating steep steps in the process.
Yvonne Coulter, 50, owner of The Old Post Office cafe in Selston, said: “I am really, really pleased, he’s done the country proud, they all did. All those having to carry the coffin, the hardest part was up to the chapel, up the steps, they were precise with it. His family must be really proud, the community is proud.”
Villager Andrew Blackbarow, 62, said it was nice to see someone from Selston as a part of the service.
He added: “I was watching them. It’s nice somebody in it, I’ve never met him, just heard everyone talk about him. I’ve grown up with Queen Elizabeth II. It's all I've ever known. I’m a royalist, I loved it, it’s quite nice to know of someone who's in it, it was nice to see.”
Lifelong Selston resident Stephanie Baseley, shared how amazing it was that someone from the village was there for the country. The 66-year-old said: “I think it’s lovely, it’s an honour. He did a good job, it’s lovely to think somebody from Selston could represent the country. It’s marvellous.”
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