The funeral of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in last month’s Westminster attack, is taking place at Southwark Cathedral in central London.
Thousands of police officers lined the route of a 2.6-mile funeral cortege starting at the Palace of Westminster.
PC Palmer, 48, who was married with a five-year-old daughter, was guarding the Houses of Parliament on 22 March when he was stabbed by Khalid Masood. A floral tribute left on top of his hearse read: “No 1 daddy”.
The cathedral service, which is being attended by around 50 members of PC Palmer’s family including his wife, child, parents, brother and sisters, will be followed by a private cremation.
PC Palmer was killed as he tried to stop Masood enter the Houses of Parliament. Masood, who had already driven into people on Westminster Bridge, was shot dead by police.
Officers from all over the country travelled to London to line the route, while others held a two-minute silence at 14:00 BST outside police stations as the funeral service began.
Special sergeant Matthew Warden, from Nottinghamshire, said he had made the journey “because we are all one big family”. Special constable Amanda Stansfield, from West Yorkshire Police, said she wanted to “show support” for her London colleagues.
Members of the public also gathered to watch the funeral cortege, while screens were erected outside Southwark Cathedral to broadcast the service.
Campbell McBryer, a retired counter-terrorism officer who served with Sussex police for 23 years, said he was “proud” of the support people had shown. “I just sat and cried when I heard the news,” he added.
Another well-wisher, David Lewis, from Orpington, said it was important for ordinary Londoners to pay their respects. “It just shows as a country that we want to pay our respects to somebody that gave their life to protect the rest of us,” he said.
The Metropolitan Police said more than 5,000 officers from the force and across the country were expected to gather in central London for the service and to line the route, which has seen dozens of roads closed to traffic for hours. “I don’t think we will have ever seen a police funeral of this size,” said Sara Thornton, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council. She said Keith “didn’t hesitate to act” when confronted by Masood. “His bravery and his courage are something that all officers are very proud of, but also there is a tremendous sense of sadness and of loss.”
Private Service
PC Palmer’s body had been lying in rest at the Palace of Westminster by special permission of the Queen. The coffin was taken to the palace’s Chapel of St Mary Undercroft on Sunday and received by a guard of honour from his police branch, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.
Members of his family attended a short private service in the chapel on Sunday, before officers watched over his coffin throughout the night ahead of the procession on Monday.
The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn, the dean of Southwark Cathedral, said that it was important that the family could grieve privately and for the public to pay their respects. “I hope for the family they receive the comfort that they need through the service,” he said. “They’re having to grieve publicly and that must be a very, very difficult thing.”
PC Palmer, who had served in the Metropolitan Police for 15 years, also had his name added to the National Police Memorial, which records the names of officers who have been killed in the line of duty, during a special ceremony in London.
The funeral is the first engagement for new Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick. Flags were flying at half mast above New Scotland Yard to honour PC Palmer.
Before attacking PC Palmer, Masood had driven his car into crowds on Westminster Bridge, causing injuries that have resulted in four deaths. Romanian Andreea Cristea, 31, who fell from the bridge into the River Thames, died in hospital on Thursday. Aysha Frade, 44, who worked at a London sixth-form college, US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, and retired south London window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, were also killed.
Masood was shot by police officers in New Palace Yard, inside the Westminster estate, after he had fatally stabbed PC Palmer.