“In the navy, our drill commands are given to the right leg, while in the others they are given to the left,” he said. “As a sailor I had to get used to it, but we all have to align ourselves to a single standard.” He added that the pace used in a funeral procession is different from any other pace the military normally uses, describing it as “not a fast march, nor is it as slow as a slow march”. “The first workout moves at 75 steps per minute. The drum is played in it, but it’s not something we practice and it’s not a natural walking rhythm,” he said. “We have to get used to walking at this pace without moving our arms, which is unnatural, and you have to maintain it for a long time. Everyone in this order, from the lowest to the highest must practice.” Here Sergeant Stokes of the Coldstream Guards entered. Holding the role of Sergeant-at-Arms of the Queen since 2015, he has been central to previous processions, including Prince Philip’s funeral and more recently the Jubilee celebrations. Garrison Sergeant Major Stokes told The Telegraph he encouraged the leaders to download a metronome app, widely used among musicians to meet timings, and practice walking in their spare time to that beat. He added: “I treat everyone the same whether they are the Chief of Defense Staff or members of the household, junior or senior. The result is the same. We want it to be absolutely brilliant. we want to represent the nation and the Commonwealth.” Garrison Sergeant Major Stokes said today’s funeral would be an example of how everyone involved “want to do the absolute best for Her Majesty and the members of the royal family”. “We do things that are not normal. we haven’t seen the death of a monarch in years. There is a lot to remember and we need to get back to the basics,” he said.
