A family united to honour memory of PC Keith Palmer at the ‘biggest farewell’ in policing history

An heroic police officer who won the gratitude of the Queen after sacrificing his life protecting UK democracy won the heartfelt thanks of a nation on his ‘final beat’ today. Ordinary Britons joined thousands of officers from every force in the UK to pay their respects along the funeral route for a fallen hero they may never have met – but cherished the values upon which he stood in his 15 years with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). Police Constable Keith Palmer was stabbed to death by terror attacker Khalid Masood as he carried out his duties as part of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, guarding the Palace of Westminster. Policing leaders, including Commissioner Cressida Dick on her first official day as the first female head in the MPS’ 188-year history, said the magnitude of the occasion had not been witnessed before. National Police Chiefs’ Council chair Sara Thornton commented: “I don`t think we will have ever seen a police funeral of this size,” she said. She personally saluted the brave officer’s attempts to stop the attacker getting into the Houses of Parliament on March 22, adding: “Keith didn`t hesitate to act when confronted by a terrorist – 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.” Nottinghamshire Special Sergeant Matthew Warden summed up the emotions from the rank-and-file, saying he had made the journey for Monday’s (April 10) funeral “because we are all one big family”. The global family of policing was represented too, with officers attending from the New York Police Department, Chicago Police and Suffolk County in the US. Some 50 members of PC Palmer`s family including his wife, five-year-old daughter, mother and father, brother and sisters attended the service. The Dean of Southwark, the Very Reverend Andrew Nunn, who led the service, stressed the importance both that the family could “grieve privately” and for the nation as a whole to give thanks. “I hope for the family they receive the comfort that they need through the service, because they`re having to grieve publicly and that must be a very, very difficult thing,” he said. “But then the rest of the nation needs to pay its respects and say thank you for what PC Palmer actually did in defending in the place where he was serving.” PC Palmer’s funeral cortege emblazoned with a floral tribute denoting ‘No 1 daddy’ on the front, led by the MPS Colour Party and a ‘Black Guard’ of mounted officers, left the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, where his coffin had laid in rest overnight. Special permission had been given by the Queen for an honour normally reserved exclusively for the nation’s senior political leaders. The first horse leading the procession was Lionheart, led by Mounted Inspector Russell Pickin, from the MPS stables. Anti-terror officers established a ring of steel as the body of the 48-year-old officer began its final two-and-a-half mile journey through London. Flags were flying at half mast above New Scotland Yard as rows of officers in number one uniforms, many with service medals pinned to their jackets and wearing white gloves, marched towards the Southwark Cathedral as on-duty colleagues involved in the security operation stood guard. Well-wishers lined the barriers along the cortège route with between 40,000 to 50,000 members of the public expected to turn out to pay their respects. Screens were erected for members of the public to watch the service outside Southwark Cathedral. Some 2,000 officers from the MPS were on duty for the funeral in policing and ceremonial roles as the procession made its way to the cathedral. Around the country officers unable to be at the service observed a two minute silence outside their stations. The MPS’ senior chaplain, the Rev Prebendary Jonathan Osborne, led prayers and Chief Inspector Neil Sawyer, who worked with PC Palmer in Bromley and the Territorial Support Group, paid tribute. Hymns including I Heard The Voic