The Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland has said attending the coronation at Westminster Abbey was the "greatest privilege of her life".

All 98 of the country's Lord-Lieutenants, including Rutland's Dr Sarah Furness, were invited to the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May.

Dr Furness travelled down to London the day before and joined the queue for security checks, finally getting through at 7.15am – nearly four hours before the service started at 11am.

She said: "Once in the Abbey, it was just fascinating because for a while, people were watching people, who were watching other people watching each other. But then we had this worldclass concert with the Monte Verde Choir, all sorts of people playing incredible pieces of music, until the King arrived so that once again you were looking at people, with all their familiar and famous faces."

She explained that "only those who had genuinely done something to deserve to be there in the eyes of the King were actually invited" so she was unable to take her husband.

Dr Sarah Furness. Image credit: LDRS.

Alongside the Lord-Lieutenants, royal visitors and a limited number of MPs, 450 British Empire Medal holders were invited, including Janet Thompson and Margaret Simpson, from Rutland, who received their medals for working tirelessly during the pandemic.

Dr Furness added: "The atmosphere inside Westminster Abbey was extraordinary and I was lucky enough to have a front row seat in the Nave so that actually I could see everybody and everything – it was amazing.

"As the King processed in, he passed right next to me and I curtseyed and he looked me straight in the eyes, and I got that smile and look of recognition, which was so wonderful – it is a moment that I will treasure for the rest of my life. It was such an honour to be there, and I felt that I was there with all the best wishes of the people of Rutland, and I felt so proud to be representing Rutland.

"There were moments with the music and particularly once the King had been anointed, when you felt the history of the moment – and when the Archbishop of Canterbury shouted, 'God Save The King', and everyone joined in, the echo in the Abbey, it was deafening – it was extraordinary. There were several moments when I felt as if my hair was standing on end, when you get that shivering feeling of a moment in time that you know is so special. It was very emotional, and joyous."

Afterwards, Dr Furness said everyone she met was "joyous, happy, enjoying the event and the day".

"It was a complete party atmosphere."

This atmosphere continued in Rutland, where a host of Coronation events took place to mark the historic occasion, including at Sunday's Party in the Park event in Cutts Close, Oakham, supported by Dr Furness herself.

Sadly, another event organised and supported by Rutland's royal official had to be postponed due to bad weather. The 'clear out to help out' car boot sale, set to take place on Monday 6 May, could not go ahead following rain and poor ground conditions.

Dr Furness hopes that it will still be a success on Monday 29 May.

Find out more about the event here.

She concluded: "I do so want it to work – we can showcase voluntary groups, we can raise a bit of money for charity – but also people can pick up bargains, or they can sell things and make a little bit of money for themselves. I'm hoping it'll be a win-win all round – if the weather plays ball with us this time."

Dr Sarah Furness is also currently working to raise funds for a statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II, proposed for land outside Rutland Library, Oakham.

While some in the county support the installation of this statue, set to cost over £100,000, some have voiced their objections to the expense amid the cost of living crisis.

Read more here.

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