‘Only excellence will be accepted’, says Dundonald man involved in coronation

Stephen McMichael, who hails from Dundonald and has been in the army for over 30 years, will take the position of Parade Marshall on the day which will see him oversee a few hundred soldiers as King Charles and the Queen Consort arrive at Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach.

This week Stephen has been one of 7,000 troops rehearsing for the historic occasion in what is the biggest military parade since the Queen's coronation in 1953.

"I am Parade Marshall at Buckingham Palace Gardens, therefore I'll be involved in the final part of the coronation," he said.

"It's been a busy couple of weeks in terms of preparation and due to a large number of troops being involved, there have been a lot of rehearsals but everything is looking pretty awesome.

"Preparation has gone into a lot of things but especially having all the equipment and the standard of drill. We know that only excellence will be accepted and nothing less.

"To be honest, I'm not overly nervous for the occasion itself. I'm more nervous that the weather will hold up for everyone attending.

"I know members of the public will travel great distances to be there and get as good a vantage point as possible, so I hope there will be some sunshine."

The occasion won't mark the first time that Stephen has been involved in guarding the Royal Family.

"When I was a Regimental Sergeant Major, I took part in Prince William's wedding upon returning from Afghanistan but this will be the biggest state ceremonial I've been a part of," he continued.

"I guarded Her Majesty when she was lying in state in Westminster Abbey from midnight until 6am.

"I was very humbled and privileged to be asked and it was a great honour for the Irish Guards to be involved in the Queen's final days.

"I was at King Charles' garden party on Wednesday and despite not assisting on the day, it was still very enjoyable."

Despite noticing a lot of changes in his 30-plus years in the army, Stephen remarked that his appetite is still as strong to keep going.

"I'm 49-years-old now and my contract is up when I'm 55, so I have no plans to leave at all," he confirmed.

"I joined the army when I was 16 so I've gone from a boy to a man and it's been a very interesting time and lots have changed.

"I'm now highly involved in operational tasks such as training Ukrainian Armed Forces and training teams in east Africa, so that keeps me busy.

"It is a busy time for everyone involved but the coronation is one of those days that nobody wants to miss and it's outstanding to play a part.

"My family are very excited and asking questions but more often than not, my reply is 'I can't tell you'.

"They'll be glued to the television but it'll certainly be hard to pick me out with the large crowd and troops expected."