Queen Elizabeth II: Ex-RUC officers walk in funeral procession

Four former RUC officers will take part in the Queen's funeral procession on Monday.

The ex-officers will accompany the coffin from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey.

They have been invited in recognition of the organisation having been awarded the George Cross.

Stephen White, chairman of the RUC George Cross Foundation, said it would be a tremendous honour.

The George Cross was created by King George VI, the Queen's father, in 1940 during one of the most difficult periods of World War Two, a period known as the Blitz.

The award recognises "acts of the greatest heroism or of the most courage in circumstances of extreme danger".

While in London, the ex-RUC officers met Chelsea pensioner Arthur Currie

Mr White said the Queen had personally asked for the foundation to be part of the funeral.

He told BBC News NI: "It is a tremendous honour, not just for me as an individual but my colleagues and indeed the whole of the RUC family."

He said the rehearsal for the funeral procession in itself was "a momentous occasion to participate in".

While in London, the ex-officers met Chelsea Pensioner Arthur Currie. The Pensioners are former Army soldiers who live at the Royal Hospital in London.

Mr Currie, who is from Coleraine and served in the Army for 34 years, said he and other pensioners would visit the Queen's lying-in-state on Friday.

"When anyone signs on in the forces, they swear allegiance, not to prime ministers, not to the government, not to MPs, they swear allegiance to the monarch," Mr Currie said.

"She has been my boss for 34 years and she will always be my boss."

Prof Martin Bradley was Northern Ireland's chief nursing officer from 2005 until 2011

Prof Martin Bradley, an ex-chief nursing officer in Northern Ireland, will be at the top of the funeral procession on Monday.

Mr Bradley said he would be representing Northern Ireland's health service.

"One of the Queen's last acts in July was to present the George Cross medal to Northern Ireland's NHS," he said.

"It's a really momentous occasion, very historic and a great privilege to be able to actually represent the George Cross which is not given out very lightly.

"It's the highest honour that a civilian or civilian organisation can accept.

"It's something you'd never imagine."

Kayleigh Finlay is a scout leader from Newtownards who was chosen to be a volunteer in the queue for the Queen's lying-in-state.

She said it was an honour to be selected as one of nine scouts from Northern Ireland.

Scout leader Kayleigh said she also wanted to volunteer on behalf of her family

"There was such a selection process to go through and so many people applied, so many worthy candidates as well," she said.

"A lot Queen's scouts would have loved this opportunity, so it is quite important.

"The Queen was such a steadfast in everyone's lives and as scouts we make our promise to do our duty to the Queen, so this is us fulfilling the last of that now, repaying her for 70 years."

A queue to join a queue

By Louise Cullen, BBC News NI correspondent reporting from London

I walked with a steady stream of people from Bermondsey tube station to Southwark Park, along a route with wardens to point us in the right direction.

A sign informs the new arrivals that entry to the lying-in-state queue is temporarily paused and wait time from here is currently 14 hours, but that's not deterring anyone.

Park life goes on as normal all around - parents are taking young children round the play park beside the barriers, someone somewhere nearby is practising what sounds like jazz clarinet, and dog walkers, joggers and cyclists are going through the park.

At the barrier, a supervisor tells me the wait will only get longer as times are adjusted, as they were overnight because of a rehearsal for the Queen's funeral on Monday.

That resulted in a sudden two-hour increase in waiting, announced via the the government's online tracker.

People here are living out perhaps the most British of British cliches - joining a queue to join a queue.

More than five miles away, people are filtering through Westminster Hall.

That is more than half a day away for those coming now.

PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne is set to represent the force at Monday's state funeral.

Two PSNI officers will also take part in the procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the service.

On Friday, the queue to see the Queen lying in state at Westminster Hall was paused for several hours after reaching capacity.

The line was about five miles (8km) long and stretched to Southwark Park in south-east London.

Thousands have paid their respects to the Queen, who is lying in state at Westminster until 06:30 BST on Monday.