Dan’s pride as he represents Force at Queen’s funeral

29 September 2022

A Nottinghamshire Police Federation member has spoken of his pride after representing the Force at the Queen’s funeral just five months after being injured in a knife attack while on duty.

Sergeant Dan Griffin was one of dozens of officers from across the country and the Commonwealth invited to line the route of the funeral cortege as it made its way through central London.

Dan has been on restricted duties since being stabbed while apprehending a suspect in Nottingham city centre and so did not expect to be involved in Operation London Bridge after the death of the Queen.

But he was then asked to represent the Force in supporting the procession on the day of the state funeral.

“My initial response was 'What, me?' but then obviously I told them I would be proud and honoured to,” Dan explained.

“This was a huge honour for me personally and something that means a lot to my family.”

Dan travelled to London by train on the day before the funeral and spent some time walking around the procession route to get some idea of the size and scale of the crowd and also get a feel for the atmosphere in the capital.

It was then an early start on the day itself.

He said: “There were 43 officers from each of the forces in England and Wales and also representatives from some of the overseas territories so there were about 60 of us in total.

“We met up at Lambeth HQ at 5am on the Monday morning and walked through Westminster, Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade to our meeting point on The Mall for a final briefing.

“We then took our places and stood in what was probably the most prominent position on the route of the procession around the Queen Victoria Fountain opposite Buckingham Palace.”

Sergeant Dan Griffin on The Mall

Dan said he and his colleagues engaged with members of the public who flocked into the capital for the funeral. 

“The atmosphere along the Mall was incredible,” he said. “It’s one thing to see something like that on TV but to witness the sheer scale of it in person is something I will always remember.”

“The crowd was very respectful of the occasion but at the same time quite celebratory in relation to the Queen's life and the length of her reign.

“She was a remarkable woman who has been an ever-present part of the life of every serving police officer in the country. Her funeral really was a piece of national and international history and I was just so proud to have been a part of it.”

Nottinghamshire Police Federation chair Simon Riley said: “We are very proud of all the Nottinghamshire Police officers involved in Operation London Bridge and very pleased for Dan who is fully deserving of this honour.”

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said: “When we were approached by our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Service and asked to nominate an officer to attend the service, Sergeant Griffin was a natural choice.

“His bravery, stoicism and determination to protect and serve the public reflect the very best of British policing and it was entirely fitting that he was selected for this prestigious honour.”