Scott Davis, 48, served ten years in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and Gary Cross, 59, spent seven years in the army and 25 as a police officer.
"We're both ex-servicemen," Davis said. "We swore an oath to the Queen at the beginning of our careers, and although we're not in the army anymore, it's just to pay our respects and come back."
Davis came from Colchester, a town east of London, and Cross from north of Birmingham, 130 miles from the British capital. The pair met in the line and bonded over their shared history of service and reverence for the Queen.
While both expressed support for the new King Charles, Davis said it would take some time to process the change. "I need to bury my Queen first," he said.