Shouldham royal watcher Mary Relph’s best gift will be to see Charles crowned in her 90th year

Chats with the late Queen and wedding cake from Camilla, Queen Consort, have been part and parcel of a colourful life for West Norfolk’s best known royal watcher Mary Relph.

Today, as she celebrates her 89th birthday, she says the best present for her will be to witness the televised
coronation of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey in May.

Over the decades Mary’s royal progress has been well documented in newspapers and magazines, making her something of a celebrity herself.

Today as she blows out the candles on her birthday cake she can look back on a lifetime of following the late Queen Mother, the late Queen and the former Prince of Wales, now King Charles, at big state occasions as well as at annual visits to Sandringham at Christmas and the New Year over the years.

Mary recalls being taken, as a 12-year-old girl, by her mother Gladys to her first Sandringham Flower Show.

Since then she became ‘hooked’ on the magic and majesty of royalty.

Her neat cottage home at Shouldham bears testimony to her passion with her vast collection of royal memorabilia filling every nook and cranny.

Through the decades Mary became such a familiar face at royal occasions that members of the Royal Family, spotting Mary among the crowds, would comment: “Oh look, Mary’s here”.

Like most people across the nation and commonwealth, Mary was deeply saddened by the Queen’s death in September last year at the age of 96.

“She was quite simply a marvellous monarch who gave over 70 years of dedicated and devoted service to her subjects,” Mary said.

“She well fulfilled the promise she made as a young princess.”

Mary treasures an unexpected chat with the Queen a few years ago in the grounds of Balmoral.

Mary and fellow royal watcher Sheila Clarke were walking in the public permitted area of the estate when a Range Rover pulled up beside them, the window was lowered, and the Queen was in the driving seat.

The Queen said: “Hello Mary, what are you doing here? You should be in Norfolk.”

“That encounter was a wonderful experience for myself and Sheila and the three of us enjoyed a lovely chat,” Mary said.

In the weeks after the Queen’s death, Mary was invited to the Sandringham Estate Office, when together with other people she met the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

When Mary was in hospital at the time of the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, her absence did not go unnoticed.

Camilla, now the Queen Consort, sent her a slice of wedding cake with a handwritten card.

Again, when illness kept Mary away from Sandringham, Camilla sent her a bouquet.

With the flowers was a handwritten card reading: “Dear Mary, these come with many healthy thoughts for a speedy recovery.

“With all best wishes, Camilla.”