Horncastle self-proclaimed royalist describes "phenomenal" Queen's garden party

Sharron Tonge, Wolds Wildlife Park’s events and cafe manager, a singer who performs as her alter-ego Sharna, is known on the entertainment circuit as “Her Majesty” because she loves The Queen so much – to the extent that she would always make the crowds sing God Save The Queen at the end of each show.

Over the summer months, The Queen would traditionally host three Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland as a way of recognising and rewarding public service.

So Sharron was beyond delighted to be invited to one of The Queen’s garden parties in 2019 to pay tribute to the money she raised for charity Candles in memory of her dad.

Sharron said: “It was the proudest moment of my life to go to the garden party, we walked down The Mall to enter the front gates and it was overwhelming – I had to stop myself from crying!”

The moment she actually saw The Queen in person, she said, would stay with her forever:

"When we heard them say “God Save the Queen”, we turned round and we saw The Queen and she looked so beautiful,” she remembered, “She was wearing this lovely pink dress and I had to try so hard to keep my composure because I couldn’t find the words.

"We got very close to her and could hear her talking to people and I was in awe of her – she was always so warm and kind with people.”

Sharron’s love for The Queen also sees her and her family make a pilgrimage to The Royal Family’s Sandringham Estate on Christmas Day every year, something she says they may do again this Christmas to pay tribute to the late Queen.

She said she was devastated when Queen Elizabeth died on Thursday September 8:

"I feel like it’s the end of a traditional way of life,” she explained, “I love the pomp and ceremony and the traditional way of doing things, and I feel it’s now the end of an era.

"The Queen devoted her whole life to her country and she was still working right up until she died – that was such dedication.

"When she took the throne, she said she would serve and she has most definitely kept those words.”

Sharron has made plans to go down to London on Monday to be in the capital for The Queen’s funeral.

"It’s going to be such a sad day because it’s the end of an era,” she said, “I think King Charles will be a fantastic King, but The Queen...I loved her.”