The Policeman was on duty on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London on the day of Alf Roberts' OBE investiture in December 1995. After checking Alf's entry pass, the policeman was about to wave him on but was surprised when Alf stepped out of Don Brennan's car and dashed into the crowd of onlookers. It turned out that Alf had spotted his friend Betty Williams and her new husband Billy in the throng, so he invited Betty to stand in for his absent wife Audrey as his guest at the investiture ceremony.
When Audrey eventually arrived, having hitched a lift, the policeman refused her access to the palace since she did not have an entry pass. Audrey was furious to have missed Alf's big moment, and even more enraged when she saw him happily clutching his medal and posing for photographers outside the palace.