Shirely Cotton, 88, is one of the readers who has shared their memories of the coronation in 1953 (Picture: Shirley Cotton / AP)

When the St Edward’s Crown is lowered onto King Charles’s head on Saturday afternoon, it will be a moment millions of people, of all ages, and from all over the world, will remember for the rest of their lives.

It will also be the first coronation since Elizabeth became the 39th sovereign on June 2, 1953.

Metro has spoken to those who remember that day like it was yesterday and even one grandmother who remembers the coronation of King George VI – nearly 100 years ago.

It also turns out some things never change, as a ‘chronic lack of loos’ and bad weather were some of the stand-out memories from Elizabeth’s big day.

Shirley Cotton, 88, from, Pornard in Suffolk has told how she braved the rain to watch the new Queen and the Golden State carriage come along the Mall, in what she said was a ‘fairytale’ moment.

But what she remembers the most about that day, was how a pack of nuts almost ruined her big Royal day out.

The grandmother-of-five had travelled to the capital from Newton Green to stay with her friend Sybil – who was living in a hostel close to Oxford Circus.

Shirley with her daughter Sue(Picture: Shirley Cotton)

Shirley Cotton (far right) on the steps in Hyde Park as they waited to see the Queen go past (Picture: Shirley Cotton)

Shirley will be watching the King’s coronation at home on Saturday(Picture: Shirley Cotton)

Sybil was at college in London, and it was just before Shirley went to study to become a nurse at University College Hospital.

The pair decided on the big day that they wanted to try and get the best spot possible.

They wanted a front-row seat on Pall Mall, but even the night before so many people had lined the route that crowds were told it was full.

The friends decided to take the risk and camped out overnight in Hyde Park – armed with supplies of raisins and nuts, and even a blow-up cushion.

Shirley told Metro: ‘We were really excited, I was 18 at the time and it was going to be a massive day.

‘I travelled from Suffolk on the train and I remember my father telling me the night before, “Don’t you dare sleep in Hyde Park, and keep your elbows up.”

‘Which I think he just meant to be careful.

‘We walked all up the Mall and wanted to try and find a gap but there wasn’t any, so we went to find the route through Hyde Park and set up camp there.

‘There were some steps that had been laid out for people to sit or stand on, and we thought that would give us the best view.’

But Shirley’s night was almost ruined when her inflatable cushion burst after the shells from the nuts ended up popping it.

Leaving her without anything to sit on, for almost a whole day.

People braved the rain and did whatever they could to get a glimpse of the Queen (Picture: PA)

The Queen beamed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as Charles will now do the same more than 70 years later (Picture: PA)

She said: ‘It could have been a lot worse, but we just did what we could, and made the most of it.’

‘We couldn’t believe how many people were already down there though, one of the other girls came into the hostel and said that the Mall was full.

‘I just thought blooming eck we need to get down there soon.’

Mrs Cotton said when they were camping out overnight and a huge announcement was made that Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary had reached the summit of Mount Everest – becoming the first people to do so.

She said although it had happened a few days before, they had held back the news to lift the spirits of those waiting for the coronation.

The now retired nurse told Metro: ‘It was really crowded and very busy but there was a huge cheer when they announced the news.

‘Everyone was in good spirits, and it really helped.

‘What I remember most is that our spot was in front of the Mounties from Canada and they were at the front of the procession waiting right by us.

‘We saw her [The Queen] come through in the carriage and although I don’t think she was waving directly at us I like to think she was. She looked like a fairy-tale princess.’

The historic day was one that people have never forgot (Picture: PA)

Metro readers have shared their memories of the Queen’s coronation in 1953 (Picture: PA)

Shirley said there was a huge procession following the Queen and another standout moment was Queen Sālote III of Tonga.

A country not many people would have even known about in 1953 – but despite the rain Queen Sālote refused to cover up her carriage and was waving even in the downpour.

She said: ‘She was wonderful and in true, what we would call British fashion she didn’t even let the rain ruin the big day.’

Queen Salote III refused to let the bad weather ruin the big day and was a big hit with those watching on (Picture: AP)

Mrs Cotton rounded off the big day by watching the fireworks down on the Southbank with her friends including Sybil.

She won’t be camping out this year though and will be watching it in front of the TV at home.

She said: ‘It was such a special occasion, and everybody loved the Queen. It felt even more special having such a young Queen and I don’t know if we will ever have that again.

‘I think Charles will be just as good a ruler, he’s a very hard worker and a good man, I think he’s just got to carry on the routine, he’s learnt from the best.’

So when King George VI was crowned in 1937 Shirley would have just been a toddler, but her friend, Sue Beven, 91, was only six but remembers seeing the new King and Queen coming down Regents Street.

The grandmother-of-three was sat with her family at Oddenino’s Imperial Restaurant and looked down as the golden carriage sailed down the road.

She said the buffet at the posh restaurant was one of the best she can remember, as the table was filled with sandwiches and finger food.

Fast forward to 1953 and Mrs Beven was like Shirley, and just as keen to get a good view of the historic day.

She was one of the lucky ones though and landed herself a place on the Mall.

The coronation was front page news all over the world (Picture: REUTERS)

The 22-year-old shorthand typist and a friend got up at the crack of dawn and arrived just a few hundred yards from Buckingham Palace at around 3am in the morning. Almost a whole 30 hours before the Queen would come along the route.

She said: ‘I remember vividly the Queen of Tonga coming down the Mall with the top off her horse-drawn carriage.

‘It was raining but she was smiling and waving and didn’t care.

‘We had a pretty basic picnic that day, it was just after the war and it wasn’t as posh as what I remember having as a child.

‘It was pretty spectacular for those days, it was just after the war we were still rationing, and it was a hard time so having something like the coronation was really something that we looked forward to.

‘I was still living at home in Kew Gardens but working in London.

‘I did love being down in the crowd, it was exciting it was a great atmosphere and everyone was in good spirits.’

Sue recalled watching as the King and Queen came down Regents Street in their carriage when she was just six-years-old (Picture: Mondadori Collection)

She added: ‘The Queen looked very young, but like a real princess, she was only a few years older than me, and to see her go past in the carriage was a very special moment.’

But it wasn’t all fun and games for Sue and her friend, as she said there was a ‘chronic lack of loos’.

She said: ‘I can’t remember if I even needed to go, but I remember there weren’t very many, and the ones that I did see I remember the queues being huge. We got very wet because it was raining but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits.’

Sue will watch as the King takes the throne on Saturday with her family and grandchildren at home in Boxford near Sudbury.

She will be watching on with a glass of champagne as she raises a toast to King Charles.

She said: ‘I think Charles is going to do a good job, there’s all this movement for a republic but I would hate to have somebody like Trump in charge.

‘The Royals don’t cost us as much as people think for what they do, and without them, we would have no tourists or even the same standing in the world as we do now.

‘It’s been a bit of a rocky time for the family but all families go through that, and it just shows they are no different to anybody else.

‘They give us a unifying feeling to our country which we need especially more than ever in the world we live in these days.’

Without a doubt, Saturday afternoon will remain engrained in the memories of millions, and hopefully, it will be a day that we will be looking back on whenever the next time a new monarch takes to the throne.

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A number of Metro readers have shared their favourite coronation memories, including one grandmother who will watch her third crowning of a monarch on Saturday.