A COLLEGE worker who secured an invite to tomorrow's royal wedding has spoken of her excitement.

Student liaison worker Katherine Hasselby and her mother, Margaret Hasselby, were delighted at having a chance to attend the nuptials when they found out the public could be invited.

After speaking to Sue Snowdon, Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, Miss Hasselby nominated herself and her mother to be considered for the guest list through the official channels.

However, hopes were becoming slim as news flooded in of other members of the public being invited while there still was no sign of their own invitation.

Miss Hasselby said: “When I saw all the reports coming out about all the inspiring people getting invited I thought ‘we will definitely not be going’, and then it finally arrived.”

The 29-year-old said she suspects her and her mother were invited because of their work with children and young people.

Miss Hasselby, who works at Darlington College, visits schools speaking to year nine and ten pupils about their choices post-16 while her mother, now 66, is a former primary school teacher.

She said: “My mum is such a hard worker. Sometimes she would get parents who couldn’t read, and they would come in and ask her to help them with an important letter. So I think it was more because of my mum that we got invited.”

The pair received their invitation on May 1, giving them just weeks to prepare for the big day.

They will be joining more than 300 other members of the public at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, including charity workers and survivors of the Manchester bombing, who will all watch the ceremony from the grounds of Windsor Castle. After the ceremony, guests will be allowed to enter the chapel and look around.

“I’m really excited,” said Miss Hasselby, “It’s my first time visiting the chapel and grounds. What I’m most nervous about is not getting there. I don’t know which roads will be open and parking might be terrible.

“We have to be there at half nine. I’ve heard that people have started to camp out already. If I have to sleep in my car I will, as long as I get there on time.”