Former Bega student reflects on being a special guest at coronation of King Charles III

The 18-year-old had been selected to represent national charity Prince's Trust Australia at at Westminster Abbey at the Coronation of King Charles III.

Ms Green-Aldridge, who has recently graduated from the Prince's Trust Get Into Maritime program, was in London for the historic event as the special guest of Julie Bishop.

Wearing a dress by Indigenous designer Ngali, who prints aboriginal artworks on to dresses, Ms Green-Aldridge in mottled blues, yellows and slight ochre reds, met with the other Prince's Trust recipients before walking to the abbey for 7am.

READ ALSO:

Just before going through security, she recognised a familiar face but she wasn't 100 per cent sure, not from mutual friends but from film and television. To Ms Green-Aldridge, seeing actor Emma Thompson was most definitely unexpected.

Though Ms Thompson wasn't the only recognisable personality among those attending.

American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality Lionel Richie made Ms Green-Aldridge's acquaintance.

"One of the recipients knew him, [had] talked to him before, so they brought him over and we all got introduced. I introduced myself to him and shook his hand. That was really cool," Ms Green-Aldridge said.

During the coronation, South African soprano Pretty Yende, who grew up in a small town in eastern South Africa, wore an eye-catching yellow dress, and performed a new composition by British composer Sarah Class.

"I'd say my favourite piece of music that was performed was Pretty Yende and she sang Sacred Fire, and I think everyone liked her because they were all cheering by the end of it. She was just really good," Ms Green-Aldridge said.

Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066. It is the final resting place of 17 monarchs including King Edward the Confessor, Henry III, Richard II, Henry V, James I, and Queen Elizabeth I.

The gothic church and the medieval shrine have been the heart of British history for centuries.

"During the speeches, I was thinking about all the former Kings and Queens who had walked through, like Henry VIII or Queen Elizabeth, because they were all rulers that I'd heard of," Ms Aldridge-Green said.

"But I always saw them as characters on TV series, so it was cool to put it in a way that they were real people once upon a time."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: