Sydney father’s secret tribute at the Queen’s funeral

Danny Abdallah made a poignant tribute to his beloved NRL club after the Sydney father was invited to the late Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey. 

Abdallah’s three children – Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, Sienna, eight – and niece Veronique Sakr, 11, were killed by a drunk driver, Samuel Davidson in Oatlands, Sydney in 2020. 

After the tragedy Abdallah and his wife forgave Davidson, who was sentenced to 28 years in jail, and the couple later set up i4give Day and Foundation to remember their lost loved ones and help others in a similar situation.

Abdallah was one of 10 ‘ordinary Australians’ invited to represent the country at Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral in London on Monday.

And the trio of pins on his lapel caught the eye, including a map of Australia, the Australian flag and a bulldog – a nod to his beloved NRL side the Canterbury Bulldogs.

‘I just wanted to honour the club. The Bulldogs have been kind to me and my family and I wanted a piece of the club there with me to pay their respects,’ Abdallah told the Daily Telegraph. 

‘They have always been by my side, checked in on me. They have a round called the I4Give Cup. Sport I think is a good place to progress for your grief.’ 

The Sydney father – who lost three of his children in 2020 – was invited to the state funeral

He wore a Bulldogs pin to say thank you to the NRL club for their support during his ordeal

Abdallah has spoken of the support he received from Canterbury and the NRL following his tragedy, and once stated ‘the league cried with me’ during his ordeal. 

‘I love the NRL and my kids love their footy as well,’ Abdallah said. ‘Growing up in western Sydney, it is the game that is played out here more than anything. It is honouring the whole NRL, that link to Aussie sport that we all have. It was nice to honour the club.’ 

Bulldogs chief Aaron Warburton sent Abdallah the pin when he learnt that the Canterbury fan would be heading to London for the state funeral, an event he reflects was an honour to be involved in.

‘Now that I am back, I am processing it all,’ Abdallah said. ‘It was a part of history and what I have learnt from this is no matter how significant someone is or how insignificant someone is, love and grief are in all of the same households.

‘I could see the sadness in the King, the princes (William and Harry), in their eyes, how they lost their mother, their grandmother, and it just goes to show the universal thing that we all have together as human beings and that essence of family.’