Penny Lancaster starts work as police constable for Queen’s funeral

Penny Lancaster has donned her police uniform to help support the force as London prepares for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

The former model, who is married to Rod Stewart, confirmed earlier this week that she will work as a Special Constable during the event on Monday (19 September).

Lancaster, 51, was spotted in Northolt on Tuesday (13 September) helping members of the public who lined the streets to see the late monarch’s plane arrive from Edinburgh.

Thousands more people are expected to descend in London to pay their respects to the Queen, whose coffin will lie in state in Westminster Hall for four days until her funeral.

Her Majesty died on Thursday (8 September) at the age of 96 in Balmoral Castle and will be laid to rest in a state funeral in Westminster Abbey.

Lancaster told Good Morning Britain this week: “I signed the oath of Office of Constable to Her Majesty the Queen just over a year ago, April last year, and just as the seamless tie between Her Majesty and King Charles III, my oath will now be with the King.”

She carried out her duties as a police constable during the Queen’s memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, adding that it was her “extreme pride to serve on the streets of London”.

The TV personality confirmed she will also serve on Wednesday, when the Queen’s coffin will be delivered to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace in a royal procession, and during the funeral on Monday.

Lancaster added that conducting police work during the funeral is “a historic moment I’ll be very proud to serve”.

She first announced plans to join the City of London police force in June 2020 following her appearance on a 2019 Channel 4 documentary titled Famous and Fighting Crime.

She completed her training in April 2021 and is a fully qualified special police constable.

In an Instagram post following news of the monarch’s passing, Lancaster paid tribute to the Queen and wrote: “May Her Majesty’s memory be a blessing. May she rest in peace. Prayers and thoughts are with the family of our wonderful Queen, as they come together at this very sad time.”

Mourners who want to pay their respects to the Queen while she lies in state for the next four days can do so 24 hours a day from 5pm on Wednesday (14 September) until 6.30am on Monday (19 September).

However, long queues are expected to stretch from the Albert Embankment for miles towards the east, past the London Eye, the Tate Modern and Tower Bridge.

Those planning to queue have been warned they may be in line for hours, possibly overnight. Portable toilets and water fountains will be placed along the route, and some venues will be open around the clock to allow people to use the facilities.

Follow the latest updates following the death of Queen Elizabeth II here