The husband of a Bolton woman who was at the Queen’s coronation has share the story of how his wife received an invite.

On Sunday, Queen Elizabeth II officially became the world’s second-longest-reigning monarch.

She overtook Thailand's King to become the world's second-longest reigning monarch in history, after France's Louis XIV.

At 94-years-old, Dorothy Whitaker is only two years younger than the Queen and attended her coronation on June 2, 1953.

Excited she took her seat at the Albert Memorial outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Dorothy had been invited as part of a carefully selected seated audience.

She sat in anticipation as the crowd gathered momentum Dorothy saw Princess Elizabeth pass by on her way to Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony, she was also delighted to see her return to the palace some hours later as Queen Elizabeth.

Dorothy was witness to history in the making.

Dorothy, originally from Yorkshire, lives in Farnworth Care Home, but she and her husband, Richard, have lived and worked around Lancashire since the early-1960s.

Her husband, Richard detailed what happened on the day and how Dorothy got there.

Speaking to The Bolton News, he said: “At the coronation I didn’t know her. She was teaching French and German at Farnham Girls School in Surrey at the time, it was her first teaching job.

“When she was at university, she was friendly with a family called the Semples. The eldest daughter, Pam, was one of her closest friends.

“Pam’s father was the head of the Post Office in England and then gained a promotion to the head of the Post Office in London.

“He had seats for the coronation for all of his family – him, his four children and Dorothy. They were on the Victoria Memorial.

“She was there and saw the Princess and Prince Phillip leave Buckingham Palace on their way to Westminster Abbey.

“She saw her return as the Queen.”

Richard also spoke on how he and Dorothy met.

He said: “I was in the army at the time, and I came out around Christmas 1954. I was going to go up to university in September but gained a part time unqualified teaching job in the secondary modern in my village.

“I used to go back to my old school to coach cricket and rugby. Dorothy was teaching there at Hemsworth Grammar School.

“We married in 1956 while I was a university student. We came over to Lancashire in 1962, I had a job in Wigan and Dorothy had a teaching job at the Derby School in Bury."

Both Richard and Dorothy even taught a world-famous cricketer many years ago.

Richard said: “One of her pupils at Hemsworth Grammar School who I had a little to do with was Geoffrey Boycott.

“Dorothy got him through his GCE French.”

Richard also recalled the time when Sir Boycott was asked if he remembered his former teachers.

Richard said: “My friend was staying in the same hotel as Geoffrey and found himself sitting with him at breakfast.

“He asked do you remember Dick and Dorothy Whitaker? He replied I remember Dorothy Elliot, yes.

“Dick was a decent cricketer but Dorothy was a corker!”

Dorothy went on to become deputy head and then headmistress of Accrington Girls Grammar School, as well as deputy head at Siddal Moor in Rochdale, retiring in 1990.