Yeoman Warders who kept vigil over late Queen's coffin return to Parliament one year on
The Beefeaters who watched over the late Queen Elizabeth II's coffin during her Lying-in-State have returned to Parliament one year later to receive a special 'thank you' from the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Yeoman Warders from the Tower of London kept 20-minute vigils through the night between 14 and 19 September 2023, as hundreds of thousands of mourners visited Westminster Hall to pay their respects to the UK’s longest-reigning monarch.
During the visit to Speaker's House, the Tower's Yeoman Warders spoke about how nervous they had been as they supported the 24-hour watch and what an emotional experience it was to return 12 months later.
Yeoman Sergeant John Donald, formerly of the Royal Armoured Corps, said: "It was probably the most moving duty I have taken part in during my 38 years of being in uniform.
"Despite our background - and all of us have served at least 22 years in the Armed Forces - we were very nervous."
Another Yeoman Warder who kept vigil was ex-RAF aircrewman Spike Abbott, who said: "I wasn’t prepared for the emotion from the public filing past us.
"They were openly grieving and crying in front of us."
During their return to Parliament, the Yeoman Warders visited the Elizabeth Tower and the House of Lords, and were given a tour of Speaker’s House by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
"No one will forget the incredible duty carried about by servicemen and women in guarding the Queen's Lying in State - none more so than the Yeoman Warders from the Tower of London," he said.
"Hearing how nerve-racking the experience was, yet how proud and dutybound they were to carry out the vigil was deeply humbling, so it was an honour to be able to thank them personally one year on."
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