Two members of the G4S team, have been recognised for their contribution in supporting security for the funeral procession of HRH Queen Elizabeth II last year.
G4S Ash North attends Royal Garden Party
There are moments in your career when you just have to pinch yourself.
It’s not every day you get invited to the Royal garden party to celebrate the coronation of the King and Queen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, in Edinburgh. Greeted by a brass band and entertained by bagpipes whilst enjoying canapes and afternoon tea will go down in the history books for Operation Manager Ash North, and Holly Coburn.
How it began
Ash starts by explaining how he was privileged to support the G4S effort in providing security for the Queen's funeral procession as she traveled from Balmoral Castle, to lay in rest at St. Giles Cathedral. Ash and his team of 50 G4S stewards were responsible for crowd safety and the safe Royal passage at Holyrood Palace. Part of Ash’s role involved carrying out a site survey and risk assessment. Ash walked the route several times and made himself known to local businesses and the security teams at Holyrood Palace, to ensure key stakeholders knew him as the point of contact to ensure the day ran smoothly.
The Police and Palace security teams commented on the professionalism of Ash and his team throughout the day and thanked them for their efforts.
Fast forward a couple of months, Ash was in China, securing the Manchester City silverware on a business trip when he received a message from the security team at Holyrood Palace. To thank him for his contribution during the Queen’s funeral procession they had invited him to the Royal Garden Party to celebrate the King and Queen's coronation.
Dress to impress
Ensuring his suit looked sharp and his shoes were polished, Ash and Holly attended the party. Despite the heavy rain, the brass band, bagpipes, and atmosphere couldn’t be compared to anything they had ever experienced before. The event was topped off by the arrival of King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Princess Anne.
Ash comments “It was a huge privilege to play my part in British history for the Queen's funeral procession, but then to be invited to the Royal Garden Party for the King and Queen is an experience of a lifetime!”
