A Jubilee parade solider had double the reason to celebrate after becoming a dad to twins just hours after his big day.
Guardsman Ashley Hargreaves, 33, was on duty to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations as the nation celebrated Her Majesty's 70 years on the throne on Thursday last week.
However, he then had to make a dramatic dash to hospital on Saturday after his girlfriend Nadia Nabizada went into labour.
The 31-year-old wasn't due to give birth until June 25, but by a stroke of Jubilee luck went into labour just days after Ashley, 33, took part in the Jubilee proceedings.
Nadia's waters popped at 8pm on Sunday evening and the couple hoped the twins would be born just before the jubilee weekend ended.
However, Nadia wasn't fully dilated until 11pm and Maya and Lyla came over an hour later with the couple still classing their girls as jubilee twins.
The couple's daughters, who were given royal middle names, Maya Diana and Lyla Elizabeth were born on Monday June 6.
Maya Diana came into the world at 00:30am weighed 4lb 7oz, while Lyla Elizabeth was born shortly after at 00:46am weighing 5lb 2oz.
The tots are the couple's first children after having been together just over a year.
In 2020, Ashley trained for his ceremonial duties like guarding palaces and changing the guard as the new dad joined The Household Cavalry in January last year.
They will stay with Nadia in Pimlico, central London while Gdsm Hargreaves is based in Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge while serving The Queen.
Gdsm Hargreaves, of the Scots Guards attached to the Household Cavalry said: "Having twins on the jubilee weekend was more amazing than anything I could have imagined.
"I'm a big lover of the royal family.
"We used the name Diana after my nan because that's her name too, and Elizabeth because of my work and the Queen.
"I did Trooping The Colour on Thursday and rode a horse to the palace, handed it over to officers and members of the royal family.
"Riding out of the gates of Buckingham Palace has been a career highlight."
Ashley was taught how to ride a horse and perform his guard duties while on horseback and said walking in the Queen's Birthday Parade was a highlight of his career.
He said: "I got Nadia tickets for it as well so she actually came and watched it. She was happy and proud, she really liked it."
Ashley added: "Nadia has recovered really well. She absolutely smashed it."
