ONE lucky borough resident is set for a front-row seat for the Royal Wedding.
Nine-year-old grey horse Jackson, from the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch stable in Hammersmith, will escort Prince William and Catherine Middleton from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace after their nuptials.
The police horse, who stands at 16 hands high and has worked for the force since 2006, will join eight other colleagues on the historic day as the Grey Escorts in central London.
He came through a gruelling selection process to make the final cut as his temperament and character were tested and the royal escort have been training in Hyde Park for their big day.
Chief Inspector Bob Barker, head of the mounted branch, said: "On state and major ceremonies, the Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch provides a grey escort to the ceremonial procession.
"Some of them look white but they are still classed as grey horses. There will be nine grey horses ridden by Metropolitan Police officers.
One officer at the front, an Inspector, will lead it. He is known as a pointer. Behind him will be four other officers, knows as a section, which will be a sergeant and three constables.
"At the back their will be four more horses. The horses have to be the right colour and then we look at the grey horses we have got and assess them for their temperament.
"Particularly on something like the Royal wedding, because it will be a real challenge for horses and the officers along the route because of the noise and the crowd and the flags.
"We know what the horses are like and their individual characteristics so we would take that all into consideration when making our final decision."
The Mounted Branch has been used for Royal Escorts for decades including Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, Princess Diana's wedding, the funeral of the Queen Mother and the opening of Parliament.
Officers riding the escorts will wear a uniform consisting of a silver lanyard and silver striped breaches.
