A year to remember for Manx Standard Bearer

The Isle of Man will be fully represented at today's coronation where a Manx woman is the National Standard Bearer.

Claire McCabe from Port St Mary will lead one hundred standards on parade and proudly dip the British National Standard at the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.

It's been a year to remember for Claire, who led three separate D-Day commemoration services in Normandy and the standards along Whitehall to the Cenotaph during the late Queen's state funeral.

In May 2022, Claire competed in the final of the Royal British Legion National Standard Bearer competition against nine other finalists from all over Great Britain. 

She won, becoming the first person to win both the Women’s Section and the RBL titles.

Her first duty was to travel to Dunkirk to lead three separate D-Day commemoration services at Normandy.

One week after her return, she travelled to the National Memorial Arboretum for a service to mark the 40th anniversary of the ending of the Falklands conflict.

On 13 September, she was called up to travel to London to commence rehearsals for the state funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and on 19 September, Claire led the standards along Whitehall to the Cenotaph, where she dipped the British National Standard in an act of homage as her late Majesty’s cortège passed by. 

In November, Claire took part in the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of the new King. 

This year, having retained both the County and Regional titles, Claire will travel to Torquay for the National final in May.