An NHS nurse who administered the first-ever Covid jab in the UK walked behind the Queen's coffin during the funeral procession.
May Parsons injected the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine into 90-year-old grandmother Maggie Keenan on December 8, 2020, at Coventry Hospital.
The nurse is the modern matron for respiratory services at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Trust.
May was representing the NHS at the Queen's funeral along with volunteers and other health care workers.
She marched in the Queen's funeral procession as part of the Civilian Services Contingent.
The Queen gave the George Cross to the NHS for its work in the pandemic and the nurse met the monarch just two months ago in July 2022.
During the ceremony at Windsor Castle, the Queen met NHS workers from all parts of the UK along with NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard - as the nurse accepted the awarded on behalf of all frontline workers.
It was believed to be one of the last medal presentations the Queen took part in before she reduced her work load.
May Parsons said the Queen was "full of life and humorous" as she told PA news agency: “She was so lovely, she was so funny.
"She asked me what I was doing and I told her I was managing the Covid wards in my trust and I was delivering Covid vaccinations.
"Then Amanda Pritchard said: ‘She doesn’t just deliver jabs, she gave the world’s first ever jab."
May told how the Queen still had her sense of humour as she asked the nurse whether she was "still alive?" after her heroic work on the NHS frontline.
She claimed the Queen made her feel "at home and at ease" after being initially nervous - but she told her to cheer up during the photos.
The monarch said to May: "Don’t look so miserable!" as the nurse was there to represent the many NHS workers at the funeral.
She called it an "honour" to represent the NHS at the ceremony.
Four health workers including St John Ambulance, three from England and one from Wales, also walked behind the Queen's coffin as they marched during the funeral procession.
The charity helped provide key support during the Coronavirus vaccine rollout with many volunteers coming forward to help jab the nation.
Emily Whyte, 25, a St John Ambulance district youth lead from Watford, was one of the healthcare workers at the funeral.
She said: “I’m very proud and privileged that I’m able to represent not only Essex but the whole of the youth sector within St John Ambulance.”
The late monarch was patron to St John Ambulance - with King Charles III now taking over those responsibilities.
