King Charles personally presents medals to sailors for role in late mother’s funeral

King Charles honoured the British Royal Naval personnel who played a major role in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral held last year in September.

The monarch personally presented the Royal Victorian Order medals to 150 Royal Navy men and women during an outdoor service held outdoor on Tuesday, May 30th, 2023, at the Windsor Castle.

According to National News UK, recipients included the naval personnel who pulled the queen's coffin in the procession on a 123-year-old gun carriage using ropes – a tradition dating back to the funeral of Queen Victoria.

Among them was also seven months pregnant Medical Assistant Paisley Chambers-Smith, who was awarded a silver Royal Victorian Medal for pulling the gun carriage with her colleagues.

Her partner, Royal Marine Sgt Stephen Leonard, was also part of the procession and on-duty. He was the member of the street-lining party standing in Parliament Square when the coffin passed.

On receiving the medal, Paisley expressed her sentiments, “It’s not something I imagined doing so soon in my career. The training was so hard but worth it, and on the day, it was a massive honour to be there.”

She added, “[It was] massive to be there. Pride took over when you walk through the streets of London and just knowing that you're there and a part of history forever.”

Paisley herself works alongside civilian medical staff at the NHS Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth when not on deployment.

Commenting on her brief chat with the King, who presented mostly medals alongside some higher RVO honours, she shared, “He was asking how the training was for the funeral, which was hard - it was tough and the new boots hurt your feet.”

She further added, “He asked when the baby was due and how it was, standing in the heat.”

Royal Victorian Order honours are in the King’s personal gift, bestowed independently of Downing Street, and are awarded for service to the royal family, via Yahoo News.