GAYNOR ANDREWS, HAS RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT HER FAVORITE SECOND-HAND COAT, WHICH WAS BOUGHT FOR £10 FROM A LOCAL JUMBLE SALE NEARLY FIFTY YEARS AGO, WAS ONCE PREVIOUSLY WORN BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II. THE 57 YEAR OLD, FROM CHELTENHAM, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, WAS SURPRISED WHEN SHE SAW THE DISTINCTIVE SILK CAR-COAT, INHERITED FROM HER 82 YEAR OLD MOTHER MARGARET, IN A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MONARCH DATING FROM 1953. SHE SAID THE FAMILY HAD ALWAYS KNOWN THE COAT BELONGED TO SOMEONE IMPORTANT, BUT HAD NO IDEA IT HAD BEEN WORN BY A YOUNG ELIZABETH SHORTLY BEFORE SHE SET OFF ON HER HISTORIC TOUR OF THE COMMONWEALTH. SHE SAID: "MY MOTHER BOUGHT THE COAT FROM A GENTLEMAN WHO WAS ARRANGING A JUMBLE SALE FOR THE SEA CADETS IN EPSOM, SURREY. HE TOLD HER IT HAD COME FROM A HIGH-UP PLACE BUT WOULDN'T SAY ANY MORE. MUM PAID BETWEEN £5 AND £10 FOR IT IN 1961, WHICH WAS QUITE A LOT OF MONEY IN THOSE DAY, AND THOUGHT NOTHING MORE OF IT." SHE ADDED: "IT WAS ONLY WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE TELEVISION GUIDE A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN I SAW AN OLD PICTURE OF THE QUEEN. I THOUGHT 'THAT COAT LOOKS FAMILIAR' AND WHEN I LOOKED CLOSER I REALIZED IT WAS THE EXACT SAME ITEM. THE PHOTO WAS OF HER DURING HER 1953 TOUR AROUND BRITAIN. IT'S A VERY DISTINCTIVE COAT SO I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE IT ON HER. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT ANYWHERE ELSE." A SPOKESWOMAN FOR BUCKINGHAM PALACE WOULD NOT COMMENT ON THE COAT BUT CONFIRMED SOME OF THE QUEEN'S OLD CLOTHES END UP IN PUBLIC HANDS AFTER BEING SOLD ON.
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