British defense minister joins guard of honor next to Queen’s coffin

LONDON – British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace stood guard by Queen Elizabeth’s coffin on Thursday. The late monarch lay inside the Westminster Hall of the Houses of Parliament.

Wallace was active in Scotland as a member of the Royal Company of Archers, which acted as bodyguards for the monarch.

Wearing the company’s dark green uniform, which included a traditional Scottish hat known as a Balmoral bonnet, Wallace stood in front of the coffin as mourners slowly passed by.

During the four-and-a-half-day vigil, guards stand around the catafalque (the height on which the coffin is placed) and rotate a clock every 20 minutes.

Wallace was joined by Alistair Jack, the government’s Secretary of State for Scotland, who was also a member of the Royal Company of Archer.Reuters