39 of his fellow soldiers will participate, according to plans revealed by one Australian soldier getting ready to march in the Queen’s burial.
The funeral for Her Majesty will start on Monday at 8 p.m. AEST at Westminster Abbey in London.
Brigadier Mick Garraway of the Australian Army noted that for the 39 participants who were chosen, preparations started right away.
He told the Today program, “It’s a terrific chance, it’s a huge honour for us to be engaged in this, such a historic occasion.”
We were effectively on a list because “all of our contingent here have known for some time that we would be obliged to be sent over here to London in the event of the Queen’s death.”
They were all keeping an eye on the news, according to Brigadier Garraway, for any developments on the Queen’s worsening health in recent months.
In the end, it came as a surprise, although of course things move rather rapidly, he remarked.
The majority of us learned about it last Friday and convened in Sydney before flying over here on Sunday and Monday.
“There have been several rehearsals; in essence, due to the necessity of blocked streets here in London, we have been practicing the march itself after hours.”
About 48 kilometers (km) west of London, at the Army Training Center nearby, the army practiced.
The soldiers have been putting in a lot of effort to be ready for practice and marching that are different from what is typically done in Australia, he added.
They are eager to represent their nation at this momentous occasion.
We often travel with the Brits, Canadians, and Kiwis, so it’s nice to gather together in that Commonwealth team and be a part of such a historic event, everyone is glad to work together in this setting.