Australian defence members with Queen Elizabeth II for final march

Australia’s top military officer in the UK believes Queen Elizabeth II will be watching over Commonwealth forces as she takes her final march.

Australia’s top military officer in the UK believes Queen Elizabeth II will be watching over Commonwealth forces as she takes her final march.

London-based Brigadier Grant Mason was among the small group of Australian personnel to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales at Army Training Centre Pirbright ahead of the state funeral on Monday.

“I have no doubt that Her Majesty will be with us all on Monday,” Brigadier Mason told News Corp Australia.

“No matter how much planning or preparation or processes you put in place, nothing can really prepare you for the enormity of such an event and certainly the emotional turmoil that many of us feel at the loss of our sovereign.”

Brigadier Grant Mason was among the small group of Australian personnel to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales at Army Training Centre Pirbright ahead of the state funeral on Monday. Picture: Jonathon Moran

Prince William and Princess Kate have also stated they believe the Queen will be watching the commemorations from above.

The late Queen’s funeral has been decades in the planning. Some 39 members of the Australian Defence Force will take part in the funeral procession on Monday, led by the Brigadier and Commodore Ray Leggatt, both of whom will also be inside Westminster Abbey for the service.

Commonwealth troops from New Zealand and Canada will also be among the more than 2000 soldiers marching the Queen from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch.

Her Majesty served as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Engineers (RAR), Royal Australian Infantry (RAINF), Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC), and the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC).

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales speak with Head of Australian Defence Staff of the Australian High Commission in London, Brigadier Grant Mason.

She was also Captain General of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery (RAA) and Air Commodore in Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force – Reserve. All vessels in the Royal Australian Navy were recognised as Her Majesty’s Australian Ships (HMAS).

“I will most definitely shed a tear,” Brigadier Mason said.

“I am sure most of us, no matter whether you are in the uniform or not, will have moments of displaying your own grief. For many it will be crying and for me it has been certainly more emotional than I expected it to be.”

Australian Army in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. L-R: Lieutenant Scottie Morris, Brigadier Mick Garraway, Commodore Ray Leggatt and Air Commodore Anthony Hindmarsh.

Lt Colonel Elizabeth Anderson is based at Victoria Barracks in Sydney. She arrived in London on Tuesday and despite knowing she would represent the RAANC in the event of the Queen’s passing, “it still feels too soon”.

“The Queen just always provided service,” Lt Colonel Anderson said.

“Unconditional service to all of those that needed it. She was a very truthful person. To walk Her Majesty home for the last time is really quite an honour. The intensity of the emotions over the week have been building.”

Lt Colonel Scottie Morris, Deputy Head of the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, flew to London from his home base of Albury Wodonga to participate.

Australian Army Lt Colonel Scott Morris.

Australia’s Lt Colonel Elizabeth Anderson.

He had met the Queen twice, the first time being in Perth in 2000 and a second at Duntroon in Canberra in 2011.

“Sometimes emotion can take you over,” he said. “I am a fairly stoic human, I have been through a fair bit in my own life but you can feel around London this real intensity and that love that the people here have for the Queen. I feel this really strong compassion towards Her Majesty. She has been a rock throughout my lifetime and to be able to be a part of something that acknowledges that and something that links us back to that special relationship is something I will always treasure.”

Lt Colonel Morris described the late monarch as being “like your nanna”.

“She was just an incredible human being and so it is a great loss for all of us. It is the end of an era.”