Meet the CFB Borden captain who escorted the king and queen during their coronation
A Canadian Forces Base Borden captain is beaming with pride after getting a very special honour during the King's coronation in London nearly two weeks ago.
Captain Broderick Smith proudly marched alongside the gold state coach carrying the newly crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.
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"So far in my, in the nine years of my career, the greatest honour that I could have possibly imagined," Capt. Broderick Smith told CTV News Monday.
Smith, an aerospace engineering officer, was one of 45 Canadians selected to make the trip overseas for the coronation ceremony, trying to stay in line and step with history with the eyes of the world watching.
A photo of Captain Smith (Middle-left) marching in a drill (Source: Canadian Forces Combat / Flickr).
The Ottawa native was also 1 of 9 representatives from commonwealth countries marching on each side of the gold coach.
For Smith, it saw him carry on a family tradition, with generations having served in the Canadian and British forces.
"So just to be able to serve my country and serve our sovereign in that manner was phenomenal," Capt. Smith said. "My grandmother on my mother's side of the family is from the United Kingdom and watched Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 in London. Hopefully, I hope I did her proud."
Smith said his friends, family and fellow military members were very proud and said he remains committed to serving his country with honour.
"It was a life once in a lifetime opportunity experience that I'll never forget. I'm just extremely proud and honoured and humbled to have been selected to attend."
With files from CTV's Mike Arsalides
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