A dedicated royalist has flown 5,000 miles to watch the Platinum Jubilee after becoming obsessed with the Royal Family as a child.
Jenna Lenn, 46, who lives in Indiana, has been planning the trip to the UK for six months - but admits she has been a royal superfan for 40 years.
And the teacher is now finally visiting all the places she has always dreamed about - including London, Windsor and Bath.
She said: "I can’t wait to spend nearly two weeks celebrating the Queen, paying homage to Diana, walking in Jane Austen’s shoes, stepping foot inside Chatsworth, and seeing beautiful countryside!
"We are set to be in the country until 11th June and will be starting in London before heading off to Windsor, Bath, Bibury in the Cotswolds and Matlock in Derbyshire on a small car tour.
"Then we’ll be coming back to London again before flying back to the States.”
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Jenna has spent $3,000 on the “once-in-a-lifetime” trip including renting a car and staying in mostly Airbnbs.
For the jubilee, Jenna aims to be among the crowd in front of Buckingham Palace to see the procession and the royal family on the balcony.
She will also be visiting Kensington Palace with other "royally obsessed” fans, plus visiting historical sights such as the Tower and Westminster and some museums during her stay.
She said: "I am so excited about this trip. I know you could fill two weeks just exploring London itself, but since I am disabled and unsure if I will ever be back, I am making sure we hit all the spots I have been wanting to see for nearly 40 years.
“I believe we have spent roughly $10,000 for the trip in total, but that has been split amongst the three of us travelling and it’s not nearly as expensive as we had initially expected.
“We have rented a car and will be staying in mostly Airbnbs throughout the trip.”
Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee, marking seven decades on the throne, on February 6 2022.
With a special four-day Bank Holiday from Thursday June 2 to Sunday June 5, the UK, Overseas Territories and Commonwealth will join in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
And Jenna is one royal superfan who can’t wait to get stuck in with the celebrations.
She said: "Over the jubilee weekend, we will be in the crowds at Buckingham Palace to see the procession and then the royal family on the balcony.
"We will also be visiting Kensington Palace with a group of other royal fans.
"Then depending on if we’re about to see the royals in the Trooping the Colour processions, we may try to find a spot near St Paul’s Cathedral for the Thanksgiving Service.
"I’m also really looking forward to the Platinum Party at the Palace but we haven’t decided yet whether we will join the crowds or head to a local pub to watch.
"We are bummed that our schedule takes us to Stonehenge and then Bath on Sunday so we will be missing the Jubilee Pageant in person but we will be watching the stream.”
Jenna first became infatuated with Princess Diana and The Queen on 29 July 1981 at just five when she watched Lady Diana Spencer become a princess.
Since then, she’s consumed everything she could on the royal family. Her favourite items of memorabilia include the yearly photo books released in the 80-90s.
She believes her collection of royal memorabilia has cost her thousands. She has plates, cups and saucers, tea towels, clothing, collectable tins, ceramics, dolls, and books.
She said: “After I joined the world by watching Lady Diana Spencer become a princess in 1981 - I felt like I was experiencing a real-life fairytale.
"Nowadays, young girls have Elsa and Anna, but I had the real thing!
"As far as what I’ve spent on being a superfan, I would say my collection is in the thousands of dollars.
"I’ve collected many books, magazines, and pieces of memorabilia along the way, some were gifts and many were second hand from charity shops.”
Jenna did some research on Ancestry.com and received DNA results- and says it reported she is "70 per cent British Isles."
She started an ancestry project looking at her family across England and Wales back to the 1500s.
In honour of her ancestry, Jenna went purchased honorific titles for herself and her father - making her Lady Jenna Marie Hudson Lenn.
She explained: “I was such an early Anglophile that I began telling people I was from Britain, which my family would quickly correct stating we were Dutch or German!
"I bet you can believe how surprised I was when Ancestry.com revealed I am nearly 70% British Isles across both sides!
"This prompted a huge ancestry project for me where I analysed relatives back to the 1500s. It turns out I am a Hudson, Branson, and Kendrick (the last family line being German).
"Our Hudson ancestors were English nobility and explorers/traders owning a company with ships that made trade with Russia. Henry Hudson the Explorer is a great-uncle.
"I felt like purchasing a title was a fun way to pay homage.”
Jenna has faced many challenges in her life, including a spinal cord injury seven years ago, and says the one constant has been The Queen.
She said: "Throughout my life, I have watched Her Majesty like a beloved grandmother or cherished great-aunt, looking to her example as to how to get through hard times, to dedicate oneself to service of others, and to simply ‘Carry on’!
"I have had many changes and challenges in my life, including a spinal cord injury 7 years ago, and all along the one constant has been her.”
Follow Jenna’s dream trip on her Instagram page - The Lady of Lenn
Pick up your collectors edition OK! Magazine Platinum Jubilee Special - in all good newsagents and online now for just £9.99.
