Lady Cavendish of Holker Hall: 'Coronation invite an honour'

Lord and Lady Cavendish have known both the King and Queen Consort for decades

A Lord and Lady from Cumbria have described being invited to the coronation of King Charles III as a "wonderful honour".

Lord and Lady Cavendish, of Holker Hall, near Cartmel, will be among assembled guests at Westminster Abbey for the service.

Lady Cavendish, a school friend of Camilla, the Queen Consort, described her as a "remarkable" woman.

The service is due to get under way at 11:00 BST.

The couple will be in the abbey alongside members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, other heads of state and VIPs.

Speaking before leaving for London, Lady Cavendish told BBC Radio Cumbria: "It never occurred to us we were going to be there and we'd already accepted an invitation to stay with friends in Scotland and enjoy the coronation weekend there.

"We're friends but, golly, they've got a lot of people to fit into the abbey. I think it will be great.

"The abbey is one of the most remarkable buildings in the world. It's so full of things to see. I don't think we'll be bored for one second."

'Being naughty'

Asked whether she could ever have imagined her friend becoming Queen Consort when they were at school, she said: "Not in a million years.

"We were so busy having fun and being naughty.

"She was a great friend when we were in our late school years. She's very loyal. I think she's remarkable.

"She's good fun, a stoic friend, very strong and very grounded."

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Lord Cavendish added: "It's totally unexpected and a wonderful honour. It was a lovely surprise. We're deeply touched.

"We have to be in our seats by 8.30am. I'm determined we're going to enjoy it."

The couple regularly hosted Queen Elizabeth at the 17,000-acre Holker Hall overlooking Morecambe Bay and were guests at her funeral last year.

The coronation is being broadcast live on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 07:30.