Boy, 3, dresses up as Queen's Grenadier Guard to pay tribute to late monarch

A three-year-old boy has paid tribute to the late Queen by dressing up as one of her Grenadier Guards.

Edward Almond honoured Her Majesty by saluting her coffin while in uniform when it flew over his home in Bacup, Lancashire, on Tuesday, following the monarch's death on 8 Septemebr.

He often dresses up as a guard and marches around his home - pretending he is one of them, according to his dad Michael Almond.

Edward's uniform consists of the iconic red jacket and 'bearskin' hat.

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Michael, 30, said: "He doesn't fully comprehend what has happened because he is three, but we relate it to his grandparents who have passed away.

"We say that the Queen is now in the sky as a star, so he now associates stars with the Queen.

"I had the flight tracker on my phone so we would be able to see it, but we didn't necessarily know the flight path.

"The website I was using crashed, as I believe that many people were following the flight but thankfully, it flew over where we live.

"Because we was initially watching the coffin being loaded onto the aircraft, Edward wanted to get dressed up in his uniform.

"He also wanted to march so we went on the back road near where we live, and thankfully, we could see it fly over.

"Me and his mum were explaining that because the Queen has passed away, now the King is in charge so he was saluting him on the TV."

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Edward was inspired by soldiers he saw on a trip to Malta, after he watched them marching and has been obsessed with them ever since.

He also plans to wear the uniform to watch the Queen's funeral with his family on Monday

Michael added: “Everything he does, he does it himself in terms of watching it on the television then saluting and marching.

“When the Sergeant Major shouts, he can’t necessarily understand what he is saying but Edward will interpret that and shout while he is marching."

The family are also now planning a trip to London, so Edward can see the guards in real life.

The Queen's Grenadier Guards is one of the oldest regiments in the British Army, best known for standing guard outside Buckingham Palace.