Woman 'bought Queen's coat for £10'

A woman has claimed that her mother once bought a coat which had belonged to the Queen for £10.

Gaynor Andrews, 57, told the Daily Express that she was shocked when she recently spotted an old picture of the monarch and realised that she was sporting a garment which her mum purchased from a jumble sale.

The photo in question sees the Queen wearing a distinctive-looking blue silk coat in 1953. It is thought that Margaret Andrews, 82, went on to discover the item in 1961.

Gaynor commented: "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, which was quite a lot in those days, and thought nothing of it.

"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 realised it was the exact same item."

She added: "Mum loves the coat as it's very stylish and comfortable with a lovely finish. She's 82 now and has always been a fashionable woman who has enjoyed stylish clothes. But I think even she was surprised when she heard of its history.

"There can't be any other coats like this. It's exquisite and unique."

A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace confirmed that some of the Queen's old clothes are in "public circulation".