Invader is tall, dark, handsome – and the horse that will take centre stage at the Queen’s funeral

He is tall, dark and handsome, and about to take centre stage at the Queen’s funeral tomorrow. 

Meet Invader, the fastest horse in the Household Cavalry, who can be relied upon never to put a foot wrong, said Major Russell Bond, squadron leader of the Life Guards. 

A ‘cavalry black’, Invader is 16.3 hands high – 67 inches tall – with distinguished grey eyebrows, under the charge of Major Bond, escort commander. 

The 19-year-old is to be one of two horses riding behind the Queen’s coffin – and before the King and other members of the Royal Family, who will follow on foot and in cars as the procession makes its way from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch after the funeral service. 

Invader is a veteran of state visits, State Openings of Parliament, and Trooping the Colour. 

He was bought by the Household Cavalry as a four-year-old failed racehorse, and learned his new role at Combermere Barracks in Windsor. 

Invader is typically fed a mix of hard forage, including fresh carrots and apples, four times a day, with constant access to water. 

Cavalry horses weigh up to 1,540lbs and eat up to 15lbs of hay a day. Invader will ride alongside another magnificent charger, named Javelin. 

Their big day tomorrow will begin at 7am with some exercise. 

‘We are asking the horses to walk at half their usual pace, so we want to get a bit of energy out of them first,’ said Major Bond. 

Then, Invader and Javelin will be tacked up in their state ceremonial kit. 

The horses chosen to take centre stage at the Queen’s funeral procession on Monday are part of the Life Guards, a regiment of the Household Cavalry

There has been some lastminute discussion about whether to move Invader and Javelin back in the parade, with worries over horse dung immediately in front of the Royal party, most of whom are on foot. 

One source also suggested there were fears that the horses being between the coffin and the King might mean he is difficult to see for a worldwide TV audience. 

But Buckingham Palace insisted yesterday there were no changes to the planned order.

Members of the Life Guards were seen taking part in the procession of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, in London on Wednesday