Penny Lancaster has said that working as a special constable during the Queen's funeral is "the biggest honour". Last year, Sir Rod Stewart 's wife completed her training to become a special police constable for City of London Police.
And today, she was pictured making her way through busy crowds in the area surrounding Westminster and Buckingham Palace while wearing the red and white chequered sleeve and cap bands of the force. Footage showed her alongside another member of the City of London Police, moving between members of the public waiting to see the procession pass by, writes The Mirror.
Penny manned the barriers near Queen Victoria's Memorial, where she made sure the public remained safe during the procession and offered advice about exiting the Mall. The 51-year-old began volunteering with the force after appearing in the Channel 4 show Famous And Fighting Crime, in which celebrities swapped their day jobs with those of emergency service professionals.
Outlining why she decided to work on the day of the funeral, she told the PA news agency: “I think it’s (the same reason) why every officer wanted to be here today, because we swore an oath to the Queen to serve in the office of constable.
“This is the biggest honour of all, to be able to serve today on Her Majesty the Queen’s funeral. We were in uniform by 0500 this morning and we don’t know what time we will be working until. We just want to make sure that all the crowds get home safely.
Penny added: “Today has been quite a long shift, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world."
Special Constable Lancaster said she was “very honoured” to be positioned so close to the procession on London’s Mall, where she was seen gazing at the Queen’s coffin as it passed by her. “Leading up to that moment, it’s been a very emotional few days,” she said. “In that moment, our priority is to be aware of the crowd and the potential dangers and risks on an event like today.
“So the focus is mostly on my duty, but also [it was] a wonderful opportunity and very honoured to be here to pay respects at the same time.”
Last Tuesday, Penny was pictured at RAF Northolt, as she assisted and marshalled members of the public, who had gathered outside the base, as the Queen's coffin was driven to Buckingham Palace. Penny also worked at the Queen's memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, which the mum-of-two described as a great privilege while appearing on Good Morning Britain last week.
She also said, on the show: "I signed the oath of Office of Constable to Her Majesty the Queen just over a year ago, April last year, and just as the seamless tie between Her Majesty and King Charles III, my oath will now be with the King." During the Good Morning Britain interview, Penny spoke of her love for the Royal Family, including King Charles III, who she worked alongside closely with The Prince's Trust charity.
She recalled dancing with the then Prince Charles on his 60th birthday, and her husband Rod Stewart. Penny also praised the late monarch for her “omnipresence” as “she could be everywhere all of the time for everyone”.
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