Honoured widow receives Elizabeth Emblem on Mac’s behalf

25 March 2025

The widow of a brave West Midlands Police officer killed on duty has spoken about the moment she received the new Elizabeth Emblem from His Majesty The King.

Helen Walker was among the first to receive the emblem during a reception at Windsor Castle.

It has been created to posthumously honour emergency service workers who have lost their lives serving their communities.

Helen’s husband, PC Malcolm ‘Mac’ Walker, was 46 when he died on 4 October 2001 while on motorcycle patrol.

Helen Walker with her son, Special Constable Sean.

He had tried to stop a stolen car which drove straight at him on his motorbike.

Helen attended the reception with her son, Sean, a Force Special, shortly before Christmas.

She said: “It was an honour to be able to accept the award on my husband's behalf. He made the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life to the police force and for the public.

Sacrifice

“This is a worthy recognition of the sacrifice he made.”

Helen said the King made it a special occasion for each family.

She explained: “He asked how old Mac was when he died and that he was so very young.

“I said that he’d missed out on so much, with grandchildren and everything.

“Some of the COPS (Care of Police Survivors) members were wearing badges, which he mentioned,” added Helen, who has been part of COPS since it was started in 2003.

“I told him that COPS has been an absolutely wonderful organisation for me – that it was a lifeline because you meet families who have been in the same position.

Magic moment

“Then he asked if anyone else was in the police, and I introduced Sean and they spoke.

“He probably only spoke to us for about 50 seconds, but we were made to feel special. He shook my hand, gave me the award and wished me a happy Christmas.”

Helen described visiting Windsor Castle as ‘magical’.

“I’ve seen the outside of the castle but to actually go in was a magic moment,” she said. “There were Christmas trees, there was a quartet playing, it was all just magical.

“It was nice to share it with people we knew, taking photographs and wondering who in history had sat in the chairs and walked the rooms.

Champagne

“Afterwards, I had a glass of Champagne. I’m not usually a Champagne drinker but it was the nicest I’ve drunk.”

Among the first recipients of the Elizabeth Emblem were the families of Greater Manchester PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone, who were ambushed and killed as they responded to a hoax 999 call in September 2012.

In 2021 Nicola’s father, Bryn Hughes, joined forces with the Police Federation of England and Wales to launch the ‘Medals For Heroes’ campaign calling for formal state recognition for emergency service workers who lose their lives while protecting others.

It was announced in March last year that the King and the Government would introduce this with the Elizabeth Emblem, named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.

The emblem features a Tudor crown and a rosemary wreath. The inscription reads ‘For A Life Given In Service’ and the recipient's name is engraved on the back.