AN Evenwood pensioner is “over the moon” that she has held onto a memorable coronation gift she received as a child, as the country prepares for yet another coronation some 70 years later.
The commemorative headscarf Hazel Akers-Lazenby received as a 13-year-old is in pristine condition, and brought back a flood of memories as she retrieved it from storage following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last month.
The 82-year-old was attending Timothy Hackworth School, in Shildon, when the Queen ascended to the throne. She said: “When the king died we were in our classroom and our teacher told us to go to the hall. There the headmistresses told us the king had died and we couldn’t believe it – there were lots of tears.”
She added that the children were then sent home and were off school for a week as the country mourned.
Later at the time of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II each pupil was given a commemorative gift.
She said: “We all got a present. I think it was a five-shilling bit the others got, but I got the headscarf.
“Of course, the Queen wore a headscarf. This is a square headscarf, which is what the queen wore. I have never worn it – it has just been tucked away in drawer, but I am over the moon I kept it. I don’t even iron it because I might spoil it.”
The scarf’s original colours remain vibrant and at its centre is a depiction of the crown with the letters E and R on either side, below which reads “Coronation 1953” .
Surrounding the centrepiece are colourful royal coats of arms and standards.
The retired shop assistant said she had followed the news of the Queen’s death on TV and had also watched the funeral. She said: “It was very emotional. They [the soldiers carrying her coffin] never put a foot wrong – it was wonderful. I am not a royalist but she was a wonderful woman.”
