EnthusIastic Royalist and local business woman Dotty King joined the queue of hundreds of thousands to pay her respects to the Queen who lay in state in Westminster Hall before her funeral in Westminster Abbey.

Dotty, who runs Dot Teas baking business and this year took over the whole food shop in Tavistock Market, queued for over five hours to view the Queen’s coffin draped with the Royal Standard.

She said: ‘The queue was much shorter than we expected.

‘There was great camaraderie as we made friends with a couple in front of us whom we stayed with during the visit.

‘The atmosphere was lovely and there was a shared feeling of sadness and respect for the late Queen.

‘Once in Westminster Hall, it was quiet and sombre as we each too our turn to curtsey or bow.

‘I shed a tear as many did. Afterwards we visited the floral tributes which were incredible.’

Before she went Dot said: ‘ I feel compelled and drawn to go to pay my respects to my gracious Majesty the Queen.

‘She has done so much for me and our country. She dedicated her life to serving us all. It’s the least I can do to spend a few hours waiting to see her lying in state. The Queen was a phenomenal woman, very dignified and under-stated.’

Dot, of Bere Alston, is a long distance running coach and well known to the running community, was well prepared for her long vigil with husband Philip: ‘We’re taking rucksacks, drinks, snacks and waterproofs, not just for us but for others in the queue. We have everything that a well prepared endurance runner would need.’

Her baking skills have even had the Royal seal of approval having made the King’s Consort Camilla a celebration cake for her 72nd birthday and presented it to her when she visited with Tavistock with Charles in 2019.

She inherited her status as a royalist from her family: ‘I’ve been a fan of the Queen and the Royal Family since I was four or five — my nan and Auntie Winnie were both the keenest supporters of the Royals and I’ve just followed on.’

Dot joined her son George at at the jubilee pageant at Buckingham Palace to mark the 60th anniversary of the accession of the Queen in 2012, when he was presented to Princess Anne. They both also met Sophie (Countess of Wessex) and Princes Harry and William (now Prince of Wales).