OLD school friends from north-west Durham are proving real troopers as events unfold in London before the Queen Mother's funeral tomorrow.
Gareth Smith and Guy Ridley, from Consett, County Durham, both 20, are members of the King's Troop, based in St John's Wood, London.
The King's Troop, a mainly ceremonial body, is the only regiment whose uniform is said to have remained unchanged since Napoleonic times.
It is frequently seen in action at events and royal pageantry in London, including the Trooping of the Colour.
Gunners Smith and Ridley, who transferred to the King's Troop after initial training with the Royal Artillery, were involved in the firing of the 41-gun salute in Hyde Park earlier last week, and again, in the 29-gun salute on Friday, in Green Park.
They are also preparing to play a part in proceedings surrounding the funeral.
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