Sailors honoured by King for symbolic role in Queen’s funeral procession

Charles presented honours from the Royal Victorian Order to around 150 sailors and officers who took part in the event or planned Navy involvement.

Members of the Royal Navy before being presented with their Royal Victorian Order medals by the King for their part in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession, on the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle (Jonathan Brady/PA) (PA Wire)

Royal Navy sailors given a symbolic role in Queen Elizabeth’s funeral procession have been recognised by the King – including a heavily pregnant sailor.

Charles presented honours from the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) to around 150 sailors and officers who took part in the historic event or planned the Navy’s involvement, during an open air ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Medical Assistant Paisley Chambers-Smith was awarded an RVO silver medal for pulling the gun carriage carrying the Queen’s coffin with almost 100 other sailors also recognised by the King.

Miss Chambers-Smith is seven months pregnant and wore a blue summer dress for the event as there is no Royal Navy ceremonial maternity wear.

The medic, who works alongside civilian medical staff at an NHS hospital when not on deployment, said after the ceremony: “It’s not something I imagined doing so soon in my career.

“The training was so hard but worth it and on the day it was a massive honour to be there.”