Sanderson’s mother said she thinks she ‘discovered a new emotion’ watching her son at the Queen’s funeral
The mother of one of the Queen’s pallbearers has told how she had “no idea” her son would be carrying the coffin of the late monarch until she saw pictures of the rehearsal online.
David Sanderson, from Morpeth, Northumberland, was one of the eight soldiers from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards to be selected to carry the Queen’s lead-lined coffin during her state funeral on Monday.
The 19-year-old was so dedicated to his solemn duty that he did not usher a word of the duty to his parents or younger brother, MailOnline reported.
Sanderson’s mother, Carolyn, has since told how she is “beyond proud” of her son and how he handled the “enormous responsibility”.
She told MailOnline: “It has just been amazing. I still can’t believe it happened.
“We didn’t actually know anything because it was all private to the army. We were looking at some photographs of the rehearsal and my husband said it looked like our David. I looked and said ‘of course it is!'”
Carolyn said she thinks she “discovered a new emotion” watching her son carry out such a historically monumental task.
“Seeing him on the television going to Westminster Abbey was just amazing. I just lost it – that’s our David. They were all brilliant, I think it was perfect.”
On September 8, the day the Queen passed away, Sanderson’s unit was deployed in Iraq but returned to take part in the ceremonial events.
David attended King Edward Vl secondary school in Morpeth before leaving at 16 to join the Army Foundation College in Harrogate. By 17, he was stationed at the regimental headquarters of the Grenadier Guards at Wellington barracks, first joining the second battalion. He then moved to the first battalion, the Queen’s Division, like his late grandfather John.
Sanderson’s dad, Peter, told how The Grenadiers was in his son’s “blood, it’s all he has ever wanted to do”.
“His grandfather served with the Queen’s Company, joining in 1958, so David was very aware of the history of the regiment.
“But he wasn’t following in anyone’s footsteps, he’s his own man with his own ambitions and he wanted to be part of the history and prestige of the Queen’s Company.”
Peter said his son probably never “imagined he’d end up performing that particular duty, but he has an it’s an achievement he can be proud of for the rest of his life.”
Peter said his son would return home before his next deployment and that he can’t “wait to see him just to tell how immensely proud he has made us”.
Read MailOnline’s full story here.
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