Salma Hayek is among the celebrities paying her respects to Queen Elizabeth II and UK’s military. The Mexican actress took to social media to shout out the incredible men and women serving in the forces who stood alongside the late monarch’s coffin for long periods.
“Queen Elizabeth was the first female member of the royal family to serve in the Armed Forces,” Hayek began. “As I’m watching the procession of her regal funeral, I am very moved to see women in the military and police get to officially mourn and honour a reigning monarch as a part of the Country’s Armed Forces and Public Services, and I was wondering if this was the first time in history?”
© GettyImagesTo answer Salma’s question, it is common for military and national police members to take in solemn royal activities. During George VI former King of the United Kingdom and father of Queen Elizabeth II, people in service also carried the casket. They were part of the vigil during the state funeral and other ceremonies.
During Elizabeth II’s funeral, the Sovereign’s Bodyguard, the Household Division, or Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London, were among the group of guards sheltering the coffin. Although the bodyguards will keep a 24-hour vigil, they will rotate every 20 minutes.
However, walking next to the coffin for several miles and then standing next to it adds up, and service members can find themselves in unwanted situations. On Wednesday, September 14, the live broadcast of the funeral had to be suspended after one of the royal guards collapsed. The person, wearing a black uniform, began stumbling from their position on the catafalque, but after getting back up and assuming the position, the guard fell forward as the crowd gasped.
© GettyImagesQueen Elizabeth passed away on September 8. She was 96 years old. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Born in Mayfair in 1926, Elizabeth was the eldest child of the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth after her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated.
Upon Edward’s abdication in 1936, Elizabeth became the heir presumptive. The Princess acceded to the throne following her father’s death in 1952. Elizabeth was in Kenya at the time of her father’s passing. She returned to the UK as Queen with her coronation taking place over a year later on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey.
In 2015, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch and in 2022 she became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service.
