King's coronation: The female members of the Armed Forces playing a leading role
These are some of the female soldiers and officers who will be playing a leading role among the 6,000 personnel of the UK's Armed Forces taking part in the coronation of King Charles III next month.
It will be the military's largest ceremonial operation in nearly 70 years and female members from across the three armed services are set to play a crucial role.
Below are some of the female soldiers and officers who will be a part of the historic day on 6 May.
Captain Amy Cooper, Second in Command, King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery
Captain Cooper will have a prominent role on parade. She will ride behind the Commanding Officer and her Trumpeter, on the right of the three officers.
She was made a Member of the Victorian Order (MVO) for her role commanding the Gun Carriage for the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall to take the body of the late Queen Elizabeth II to Lie in State.
Flt Sgt Penny Jordan, RAF College Cranwell
During the parade, Flight Sergeant Jordan will be one of two escorts for the King's Colour for the RAF College Cranwell, a privilege afforded to those who have demonstrated excellent arms drill and poise on parade.
The mother of two is a multi-decorated aviator who has served with the Royal Air Force for more than 21 years, now in the capacity of Flight Commander at the RAF Officer Training Academy.
She has deployed on several operations, including to Iraq and Afghanistan, and was proud to see her husband graduate as an RAF Officer at Cranwell last year.
He has volunteered to stay at home with their daughters so Flt Sgt Jordan can take part in the coronation.
Captain Sophie Shaughnessy, Royal Navy
Capt Sophie Shaughnessy will lead the Royal Navy and Royal Marines marching detachment on parade, in what will be her final duty for His Majesty the King before she leaves the Royal Navy in July.
Her long and distinguished career as a Marine Engineer has included postings to Bosnia and the Northern Arabian Gulf, and in recent years has seen her deliver training and development for future naval engineers.
She is passionate about encouraging more women into STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) roles within the Royal Navy.
Major Fran Sykes, Commanding Officer, King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery
The Commanding Officer of the King's Troop since July 2021, and the third woman to hold this position, Maj Fran Sykes is the Parade Commander for King's Troop and will lead the mounted unit on parade.
She was the Commanding Officer for the Platinum Jubilee celebratory weekend events and for the state funeral of the Queen in September. Previous operations include deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Chief Petty Officer Tara Evans, HMS Lancaster
CPO Evans is one of a handful of female Senior Rates to provide military training for state ceremonial occasions and she was involved in delivering training for the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
She first became interested in the ceremonial side of military life when she was put through her paces by a female drill instructor during her initial naval training.
In her operational role aboard the Royal Navy warship HMS Lancaster, CPO Evans is a specialist in Above Water Weapons (including harpoon, surface-to-air missiles and all medium/close range weapons) and is responsible for ensuring that all weapons are manned.
She is hopeful that her example will inspire more women to seek a career in the Royal Navy's Warfare branch.
Flt Lt Manveet Dhaliwal, 47 Squadron, RAF Brize Norton
As a Junior Engineering Officer, Flight Lieutenant Dhaliwal is responsible for managing the daily flying programme and aircraft maintenance for the C-130J Hercules due to feature in the coronation flypast.
This role, which also involves managing 75 aircraft technicians, has seen her deploy to the Middle East in support of Operation SHADER, the UK Armed Forces' role in international efforts to combat Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
Flt Lt Dhaliwal and her team will carry out the same pre-flight checks on the C-130J before the flypast as they would before its deployment on any operation.
WO1 Gemma Begley, 14 Regiment Royal Artillery
As the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) for 14 Regiment Royal Artillery, Warrant Officer (Class 1) Begley is responsible for the smooth running of all regimental rehearsals in the lead-up to the King's Coronation Gun Salute at Stonehenge.
She will accompany the Commanding Officer at the 21-gun salute, which is one of several salutes to be fired across the UK and at His Majesty's ships at sea to celebrate the exact moment HM The King is crowned.
WO1 Begley became the third woman in her regiment to hold the role of RSM when she assumed the position last month.
After training as an AS90 (self-propelled gun) operator at the outset of her career with the Royal Artillery, WO1 Begley converted to an L118 (towed howitzer) operator and, in doing so, became one of the first females to work on an artillery close support gun line.
The role has taken her around the world, including to Cyprus, Iraq and Afghanistan. WO1 Begley was the Battery Sergeant Major on Gun Salutes at Stonehenge for HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the death of HM The Queen and the Proclamation of His Majesty The King.
Corporal Katharine Davies, Royal Corps of Army Music
Cpl Davies will be leading a 70-piece military orchestra at the coronation concert in Windsor on Sunday 7 May, with musicians from the Orchestra of the Household Division and the Countess of Wessex's String Orchestra (CWSO) taking their cue from her.
An accomplished violinist who performed with top UK symphony orchestras prior to joining the Army in 2016, Cpl Davies is the first woman to lead this prestigious, combined orchestra, which has had a starring role in significant national events including D-Day 75 and HM Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
She sees music as "an integral part of the British military tradition, because of its ability to inspire, uplift, and unite".
Nearly 400 Armed Forces personnel from at least 35 Commonwealth countries will also be on parade to mark the historic moment.
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