'Pulling down my rare oil painting of the Duke of Kent, valued at £60,000, I felt a swell of pride. “Never mind Queen Elizabeth, I should be crowned queen of my own royal collection!” I laughed to my husband John, 66, a farmer.
With 12,000 plus items of memorabilia, I’m the extremely proud owner of the largest collection in the world.
We’re throwing a big party at our farm in Weardale, County Durham, on Jubilee night, and John was helping me get things ready.
Picking through choice royal mementos – my favourite being a framed napkin used on a flight by Prince Charles in 1977 to Teeside Airport, where he only landed because of fog – I turn to John and grin, “I may have been a magistrate for 30-odd years, but I don’t need to consult with the rest of the bench on this one. My verdict is that the Platinum Jubilee – for Elizabeth the Great as I like to call her – will be the best yet.”
People wonder why an ardent monarchist like me isn’t jet-setting to London on the big day. Well, I’ve agreed to help with a pop-up royal tearoom in nearby Bishop Auckland, where a cousin of mine runs a venture for adults with learning disabilities, who are going to be great British bakers for the day. So I’ll be tucking into their scones and happily musing about the monarchy.
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