'My beautiful day at Buckingham Palace' - Hartlepool woman's memories of meeting the Queen

Edith Harrison who recalled the day she met and shook hands with the Queen.

An award-winning Hartlepool woman has reflected on the “beautiful day” when she shook the hand of Her Majesty the Queen.

Edith Harrison, 87, will never forget the special occasion in 2015 when was invited by the Queen to a tea party.

Edith said: “I shook her hand. She said ‘welcome to Buckingham Palace’. It was a wonderful memory.”

Other members of the Royal Family were also there including Prince Charles, now King Charles lll, and Edith remembered: “It was fantastic. We went round the Palace and we had afternoon tea. It was a really beautiful day.”

A standing ovation for Edith Harrison at the 2017 Best of Hartlepool Awards where she collected the Lifetime Achievement trophy.

Edith’s own achievements have been remarkable.

She was a huge part of the Hartlepool dance scene for 80 years until 2020 and won the Lifetime Achievement category at the Best of Hartlepool Awards in 2017.

She said at the awards night: “I have seen a lot of things change including the way that people dance. But this is something that really matters to me because it comes from my hometown.”

Until 2020, Edith ran her own dance school called Edith Harrison Performing Arts which brought performing arts to families with underprivileged children.

She had danced herself since she was three and qualified as a dance teacher when she was 16.

She joined the Hartlepool School of Dance and Drama when Winnie Warnes was principal and the line-up of teachers included Freda Compton and Lillian Pinkney.

She had been a school principal, a dance school owner, and much more besides. And one of her fondest memories was the day she met Her Majesty.

She and her son Thomas David Harrison attended the party where the royal presence also included Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

Her Majesty the Queen on a visit to Hartlepool.

Back in 2015, Edith told us: “The best thing was just walking through the front door of Buckingham Palace, up the red carpet and being led in by the Beefeaters."

Either side of her, bands played music from the 40s and from the musicals and Edith loved "meeting so many nice people."

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In typical Edith style, she was busy with putting on a new show almost as soon as she returned from London.

Do you have memories of meeting the Queen? Tell us more by emailing [email protected]