'Heartbreaking!' Shropshire woman was in congregation at Westminster Abbey for Queen's funeral

Elizabeth Wilkinson, aged 50, from Telford, was among the 2,000 high profile congregation because she was awarded the MBE in Her Majesty's Queen’s Jubilee Honours List earlier this year for her services to dyslexia.

"I found it heartbreaking," said Elizabeth, who is a divorced mother of one. "We had people there who were burying their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Having to do that in front of 2,000 people...

"A funeral is meant to be the start of a process of letting go. It is not a job that I would want."

Elizabeth, who has autism and dyslexia, has successfully run The Dyslexia Awards in Shropshire since 2015, was not fazed by being under the same roof as members of the Royal Family, world leaders, and leading politicians.

"I am autistic and I tend to judge people as people," she said. "I was aware of the presence of dignitaries but it doesn't change my attitude, to be very respectful of people whoever they are."

She had learned about her invitation to the funeral Friday, September 9, the day after the death of the Queen. She had been in Costa Coffee with her mum Sue Taylor, 75, a former member of the Women of the RAF when the call came through. The news had to be kept secret but her proud dad, ex RAF serviceman Michael Wilkinson, aged 75, was bursting to spread the news. He asked his daughter for permission to post the invitation on a private Facebook group on Sunday evening.

Elizabeth went to London the day before and stayed at the Union Jack Club overnight on Sunday before rising at 5.30am, and getting dressed up.

"I walked from Waterloo to Lambeth Bridge in high heels," said Elizabeth. "I had blisters on my feet but it was nothing, and worth it to be there. It is something I had to do.

"There doesn't seem to be a word that adequately describes the honour I feel for being there, I can't describe it," she added.

She has some amazing mementoes from the day, including an A4 sized highly decorated gold embellished order of service and a booklet showing the itinerary for the pageantry-filled day.

On the train back home Elizabeth showed the order of service to a couple of other passengers who were amazed.

"It is not mine to keep in a cupboard, I will be sharing it with other people," she said.

She said the organisers were really good about her autistic needs. She took some noise-cancelling ear plugs with her and was able to sit in a well lit and daylit section of the Abbey - but in the end there were long silences which meant she did not need to use her ear plugs.

Elizabeth has taken her annual awards scheme nationwide to shine a light on the talents of those living with dyslexia. She wants to showcase the diverse skills and strengths of dyslexic people from all corners of the UK, as well as celebrating the talents of those living within the county.

Research suggests that one in ten people in the UK are dyslexic. However, it is not usually identified in childhood and around 75 per cent of diagnoses happen in adulthood, either in the workplace or university.

Elizabeth was 33 when she received her dyslexia diagnosis and 39 when she discovered she was also autistic.

She is also the founder of the Dyslexia Information Day – an annual event designed to help people access trustworthy, free information about dyslexia and other co-occurring conditions.

In 2015 she launched the first ever Dyslexia Awards for businesses and educators in the Shropshire region only.

In 2020, the awards were open to nominations from across the West Midlands and this year, the scheme will go national, culminating in an award celebration at Enginuity – an interactive engineering and design museum located in the heart ofIronbridge, the birthplace of the industrial revolution.

For more about Elizabeth and the awards people should visit theddc.org.uk