'I would walk on hot coal': Wigan woman waits over eight hours to pay respects to Queen
A woman from Wigan who said she would "walk over hot coals" to pay her respects to the Queen waited over eight hours to see the Monarch lying in state.
Caroline Heaven said she decided she "needed to be down" in London the day Her Majesty passed away and traveled down with her granddaughter to witness the historic event.
The pair traveled on the last train from Wigan on Wednesday evening and joined the queue shortly after midnight.
They reached the front of the queue at 8:30am on Thursday morning.
ITV Granada Reports caught up with Caroline when she arrived back in Wigan
On their return they said they were "knackered" but glad that they made the long journey for the "highly emotional" historic event.
Mrs Heaven said: "I'm frightened of fire but I would walk on hot coal to get down there."
She added: "I was so determined that I wanted to pay my respects to the Queen for all the work that she has done and the way she has represented us for 70 years.
"Also to be there for King Charles III who has got big shoes to fill and obviously it's his family that I'm feeling for."
Caroline said the Queen was a "guiding hand over the country" and that she's "the only Queen I've ever known".
She remembers "loving" the Queen from a very young age and recalls being given permission by her school to see her when she visited Wigan in 1968.
She said: "In 1968 she came to Wigan and we were given special permission as school children, I was 10, to go and see the Queen.
"And she waved at me and ever since then I've been hooked on the Queen."
"The Queen was there for us through all weathers and for 70 years so I'm sure just a couple of days of my life waiting in the cold and the rain it's going to be a very small sacrifice to pay for being there on such a momentous occasion."
"I think just knowing you're in the same room as the Queen I think is going to be very emotional.
"I'll be able to say that I've seen the Queen lying in state and it's my small part that I want to play towards the funeral."
Caroline is travelling down to London with her 20-year-old granddaughter who is studying history, and says she is just as keen on the monarchy.
"We're going to take plenty of pies, we're going to dress warmly and I think it will be just fine. We're all prepared."
She continued: "Wigan has always been a royalist area. Not everybody in Wigan loves the Queen like I'm sure in a lot of places.
"But I do, I'm a Royalist and I think I am representing myself.
"I will be waving the flag for Wigan."
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