Littlehampton RNLI volunteer to attend Queen's funeral

Lynn Spillett, 62, from Littlehampton in West Sussex, was awarded an MBE in June  for services to the RNLI in Torbay, Devon.

In the seven years when she was chairwoman of fundraising the branch raised more than £700,000.

Since losing her husband to coronavirus, she has moved back to her home in Sussex and is fundraising for the RNLI in Littlehampton, as well as volunteering at Arundel Castle one day a week.

She said: “We were a very active branch and made loads of changes to bring fundraising right up to date.

“Receiving the MBE was strange because you don’t do it for the recognition, you do it because you believe in the cause – I’m so dedicated to the RNLI so, when I got the letter through the post, I thought it was a joke at first.

“I just feel so honoured to be given an award for something I really love doing."

The Queen's body lying in state (Image: PA)

Ms Spillett will be joining hundreds of others at the Queen's state funeral at Westminster Cathedral in London on Monday, September 19.

The funeral will conclude a period of mourning which has taken place since Queen Elizabeth II's death on Thursday, September 8.

The Queen's coffin is currently lying in state at Westminster Hall as the public file past to pay their respect.

Ms Spillet added: “The Queen was the RNLI’s patron for 70 years; she was very much, we all think, part of the RNLI family so it’s a huge loss to us.

“Her death was a huge shock. To think after 70 years she’s just not going to be there any more.

“The royal family have lost a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, but I think everyone feels like she was our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

“To be invited to the funeral and to be able to pass on my condolences myself and be part of the goodbye to her is just an amazing thing – just unbelievable.”