King Charles honours military personnel at Windsor Castle

A heavily pregnant sailor has received an award from King Charles, with the monarch surprised to see the woman participating in a parade today at Windsor Castle as seven sailors collapsed due to the heat. Despite not having a uniform suitable for pregnant women, Medical Assistant Paisley Chambers-Smith proudly stood in the front row alongside 150 Royal Naval personnel. They were all recognised with Royal Victorian Order honours by the monarch for their participation in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral processions last September.

Miss Chambers-Smith, who was among the 98 ratings responsible for pulling the state gun carriage carrying the Queen’s coffin, had to wear civilian clothes at the castle due to the Navy’s lack of ceremonial uniform designed for expectant mothers.

During the medal presentation ceremony in the castle quadrangle, which lasted an hour under the bright sunshine, seven sailors fainted and had to be escorted away.

However, she persevered long enough to receive her honour from the King and was later granted special permission to rest.

She said: “I just managed to do the first rank and then I had to go and sit down.”

Get the latest royal news straight to your phone by joining our Whatsapp community!

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

At the age of 25, Miss Chambers-Smith, originally from Chesterfield, had the opportunity to meet the monarch.

She is currently serving as part of a Naval medical team that collaborates with NHS civilians at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

She added: “That’s the first member of royalty I’ve ever met so it was amazing. I’ll never forget that.

“He was asking how the training was for the funeral, which was really hard. It was tough. The new boots hurt your feet.”

Don’t miss…
Moscow drone attack could ‘backfire’ and ‘cast doubt’ on Putin promises – expert[REVEAL]
Tottenham chief Daniel Levy’s ‘true feelings’ on Eden Hazard swap deal[LATEST]
Starmer faces pressure to hand back £1.5m donation from backer of eco-zealots[INSIGHT]

The King was aware of the uncommon sight of a heavily pregnant woman participating in the parade.

“He asked when the baby was due and how it is standing in the heat,” she said, adding that the baby is due at the end of July and she intends to start maternity leave in June.

The medical assistant, accompanied by her partner, Royal Marines Sergeant Stephen Leonard, aged 34, reflected on her own sense of pride in being part of such a significant event.

It was remarkable for her to be involved in such a momentous occasion three years after joining the Navy.

“It’s not something I imagined doing so soon in my career. It was a massive honour to be there,” she said.

“Just knowing you were part of history for ever.”

Alongside the other honoured sailors and officers at the castle, she was bestowed with the Royal Victorian Order by the King in March.

This recognition was part of the demise honours list, typically released after the passing of a monarch.

Express.co.uk has contacted the Ministry of Defence for comment.

Source: Read Full Article