A local woman who already attended the coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth is back in London this week ready to see a new monarch crowned king.
Hazel Reynolds, 98, from Brewster was there when Charles III’s mother was crowned in 1953. She was also in attendance years earlier to see Charles’ grandfather crowned in 1937.
“It was quite a different world,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds was just 12-years-old for George’s coronation.
“All the children in the UK received coronation gifts,” she said. “We got a really nice royal book, a tin of chocolate, a tin of biscuits. We were all very, very excited about the coronation.”
One of Reynolds’ fondest moments came 16 years later with Elizabeth’s coronation.
“I was so excited,” she said. “It was an absolutely amazing thing to see the queen in a gold coach and wearing a crown.”
Reynolds is now looking forward to watching Charles make history. She said she couldn’t imagine leaving England without being a part of this historic event.
“I wouldn’t miss this coronation,” she said. “I said ‘I will stay until then.’”
“I don’t know when I’m going back to the States,” she continued. “But I definitely wanted to be here for it.”
With the day of the coronation on Saturday rapidly approaching, Reynolds said she can feel excitement building in her home country.
“Everybody does seem to be excited about it,” she said. “Very excited about it, as I am.”
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