Dame Kelly Holmes reveals she waited more than seven hours in Queen queue with 90-year-old ex serviceman
20.09.2022 - 21:39
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Dame Kelly Holmes reveals she waited seven hours in the queue to see the Queen's coffin with a 90-year-old former serviceman. Dame Kelly spoke glowingly of a man named John Collinson who she befriended while they were waiting in line together at the Palace of Westminster on Saturday.
The Loose Women star and British Olympic hero was in the queue for more than 11 hours after feeling 'compelled' to pay her respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Dame Kelly, who joined the army at 17 and is an Honorary Colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment, says she took John 'under her wing' until first-aiders outside the Houses of Parliament said he could be fast tracked.
The gold medal-winning athlete was in Liverpool after attending the National Diversity Awards before deciding to make the journey to London. She told her fellow panellists on the ITV chat show Loose Women: "I changed my arrangements, got on a train at 7am. I felt so compelled to have to join that queue.
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She added: "I've talked very openly about my miltary service and giving that oath of allegiance. I got some warm clothes to change in the toilets at Charing Cross and ended up joining the queue."
She said about the experience: "I have to say it was the most moving, joyous moment of togetherness." Dame Kelly gave a 'shout out' on the show to her new friend John as she told how he was reluctant to move on without her.
"Opposite the Houses of Parliament the first-aiders came up and said 'you can go up in front to the queue, to the fast-track.' And he was looking at me because I'd taken him under his wing at the time, sharing my chips and taking him to the
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