A royal superfan has become so famous since the Queen’s death that she was repeatedly recognised on the streets of London – and even posed for selfies.
Anita Atkinson, widely known as County Durham’s most ardent monarchist, travelled to London to take part in the historic procession in the lead up to the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
Ms Atkinson, 56, who has been collecting royal memorabilia all her life and has around 12,000 items at her converted dairy farm in Weardale, was among the first 10,000 people to view the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall after queuing for around eight hours.
She remained in London for several days in the lead up to the State Funeral on Monday, visiting tribute sites throughout the capital.
Her dedication to the Royal family has been highlighted by news and media channels around the world, with her fame now stretching beyond her home region of County Durham.
Read more: Durham's Royal superfan Anita Atkinson explains why she had to go to London
“As I was walking around I kept getting recognised,” she said. “People were saying: ’are you Anita off the telly?’. That’s nuts! I even got recognised by a police officer. I was taking selfies and all kinds; it’s just been an incredible experience.”
In what has been a whirlwind two weeks since Her Majesty’s death was announced at Balmoral, Anita says she’s now melancholic now that the period of national mourning is over.
She explained: “I’ve felt the whole spectrum of emotions and now I can’t decide how I feel. I’ve had a whirlwind.
“What an incredible journey I’ve had since the day the Queen died until now. It’s been exhausting, enjoyable, funny. I’ve met loads of people and made some friends for life in the queues. I seem to have spent an awful lot of time on my feet. It’s really strange now because it’s finished, and that chapter is closed now.”
Anita was joined by several friends from the north on her travels around London, and it was on Sunday night when preparations for the funeral started.
“We walked down to a spot that I’d found right outside of Horse Guards Parade which was a great vantage spot,” she said. “We saw everything unfolding from 9pm at night.
“We couldn’t get onto a barrier anywhere, not down Whitehall or The Mall, and made friends in the crowd.”
And although the large crowds were no surprise, for she has attended several Jubilee and funerals in the past, the amount of people out for Monday’s funeral was the most Anita has ever seen.
She said: “I have seen nothing as vast as those crowds – you couldn’t move. On the Saturday, I was with my friend and both St James’ and Green parks were busy. It was crazy, wall to wall people. Everyone in London was really welcoming just like I was walking down the street in Crook.”
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