Queen Elizabeth II: Hitch-hiking ex-soldier completes 'pilgrimage'

Toni Palfreyman said she felt emotional when she "saluted the boss" at Westminster Hall

An ex-soldier who decided to hitch-hike to London to pay her respects to the Queen has said the kindness of a driver who helped her left her "overwhelmed".

Toni Palfreyman said she and her emotional support dog were picked up in Wigan by a "complete stranger" called Steve, who took them to Manchester then paid her coach fare to the capital.

The 48-year-old said his kindness had allowed her to get to Westminster Hall.

She added that she had now "saluted the boss and that's what I came to do".

Ms Palfreyman, who served with the Women's Royal Army Corps then the Royal Corps of Signals, said she had been desperate to join the thousands of people who have been filing past the Queen's coffin as she lies in state in the hall.

"It's the end of an era," she told BBC Radio Manchester.

"It's huge for all military and ex-military personnel.

"We swear our oath of allegiance to the Queen."

Thousands of people have filed past the Queen's coffin as she lies-in-state

She said the trip from her Wigan home with her dog, Alfie, had been a "pilgrimage", but as she was "skint", it was one in which she had been "relying on strangers to help me".

"A complete stranger picked me at the side of the road, me and my dog, and brought me to Manchester and paid for my coach ticket," she said.

She said she had been able to join the accessible route and "only had to wait three hours" to see the Queen on Wednesday evening.

She said everyone waiting had been "looking out for each other" and she had "never seen a more orderly well-behaved queue".

The former soldier said the reality of the event "hit home" when she saw the catafalque, the raised platform where the closed coffin lies.

"It was very serene and sombre, but it was beautiful and seeing the jewels and the orb and crown... it hit home to me it is true," she said.

Ms Palfreyman said she had trained her dog to hold up its paw as a mark of respect to the Queen

She said she wore her Royal Signal beret as she paid her respects to Her Majesty and that Alfie had also paid tribute.

"He lifted his paw up to the Queen," she said.

"I've been training him since last week.

"I'm so proud of my little boy."

She added that she was glad she had been able to make the journey.

"I've been there and saluted the boss and that's what I came to do," she said.

"I'm so proud of our country to allow us to be able to do this.

"It does mean a lot to a lot of people."

What next? A day-by-day guide from now to the funeral

BBC streaming of Queen Elizabeth II lying in state

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