Ben Roberts-Smith invited to join Queen’s funeral procession

Ben Roberts-Smith, recipient of the Victoria Cross, has revealed he is “honoured” to be invited to Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral.

Ben Roberts-Smith, recipient of the Victoria Cross, says he is “honoured” to be invited to participate in the funeral procession of Queen Elizabeth II alongside the Commonwealth’s most decorated soldiers.

Mr Roberts-Smith is suing Nine newspapers, formerly known as Fairfax, over stories he claims falsely painted him as a war criminal, bully and abuser of women.

He denies the allegations, which Nine insists are true.

The marathon trial concluded earlier this year and the world is now waiting for the judge to formulate and deliver his verdict in what could be the most significant defamation trial in Australia‘s history.

Mr Roberts-Smith, in a statement released to The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, said he had been invited to participate in the funeral procession of the late monarch alongside other recipients of the Victoria Cross.

Ben Roberts-Smith leaves the Federal Court in Sydney. Picture: David Swift

“I feel deeply saddened by Her Majesty’s passing, I had an immense respect for her and she was someone I admired greatly. In every interaction I had with the Queen she was warm, insightful and engaging,“ Mr Roberts-Smith said.

“She was a magnificent monarch, a stoic leader, and importantly just a lovely lady. I feel extremely honoured to be fortunate enough to pay my respects to the Queen and humbled that she saw fit to include the Victoria Cross recipients in her funeral procession.”

Mr Roberts-Smith with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture: Anthony Devlin

Mr Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan in 2010.

Mr Roberts-Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious military honour in the Commonwealth, when he stormed machine guns at the battle of Tizak in late 2010.

Pictures show the SAS Corporal towering over the Queen during a meeting in 2011.

“We talked mainly about Afghanistan and obviously a great opportunity for me to tell her about what everyone else in my (patrol) did that day, so I got to explain to her a bit of what everyone did as opposed to just myself,” he told reporters at Buckingham Palace after the meeting.

His extraordinary bravery cemented his place as a national hero but, he would go on to tell the Federal Court in his defamation lawsuit, it “put a target” on his back as well.

Mr Roberts-Smith claimed other soldiers within the elite SAS became jealous of his medal, and the fame that came with it, and spread rumours internally and to the media that he had killed outside the rules of war.

The Queen will be laid to rest on September 19.