There is a method in place to ensure soldiers honoringQueen Elizabeth IIat her state funeral don’t faint.
Ahead of the service held Mondayat Westminster Abbey in London, the troops were told to take one satchel of salt every day for the last week so they wouldn’t pass out. To add electrolytes, they were also advised to put salt on their food.
Even with this approach, two military members still passed out while making their way to Windsor Castle following the first procession.
Nearly 6,000 U.K. Armed Forces personnel were tapped to partake in the funeral service. Rehearsals were held at the Army Training Centre in Pirbright, according to theDaily Mail.
General Sir Patrick Sanders, Head of the Army and Chief of the General Staff, initially teased that Monday’s state funeral “will be like nothing any of us have seen in our lifetimes.”
BBC America
“It’s obviously a first and will bring together all the elements of the Armed Forces, all those who serve in a procession that I hope will be precise and will be immaculate,” Sanders said on BBC Radio 4, perMetro U.K.“But it’s taking us a lot of practice to get it right as you’d expect.”
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.BBC
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty
Soldiers from the Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, were specially selected to carry the coffin to Westminster Abbey and later to St George’s Chapel in Windsor. Once the monarch is officially laid to rest, the Queen’s Company will change its name to reflect the new King.
“They became the Queen’s Company immediately after the death of George VI and the queen has been commander ever since,” former British Army soldier Major Adrian Weale told the PA news agency, according toThe Independent. “It’s their role to protect her body, both in life and in death, remaining the Queen’s Company until King Charles decides otherwise. Their duties will then be transitioned to the next monarch.”
Queen Elizabeth II in the Throne room at Buckingham Palace after her Coronation in Westminster Abbey.PA Images via Getty
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The Queen will be buried inside St George’s Chapel, where several other British royals, including King George VI, have been laid to rest before her.
source: people.com
