Castle of Mey perfect for ‘royal’ wedding

A BRIDE who had the Queen Mother turn up at her christening is to return the compliment by marrying at the late royal’s former Scottish home on New Year’s Eve.

Staff at the Castle of Mey in Caithness are opening up the Queen Mother’s old home especially on Hogmanay so that Lesley Sinclair can have her fairytale wedding to Stewart Campbell.

In October 1982, the Queen Mother decided to attend a service at Thurso West Church of Scotland.

But to her surprise she found that there was a christening going on.

“The Queen Mother just turned up and was told that the church was closed for my christening,” said Ms Sinclair, 29, a community mental health nurse in Caithness.

“But she insisted in coming in and said she wanted to witness the event. So she sat at the back and then held me in her arms.

“I don’t suppose it is everybody who can claim to have had the Queen Mother gatecrash their christening.

“So when we decided to get married, the Castle of Mey seemed the obvious choice – though it has taken us two years to save up.”