A woman who shares her birthday with Queen Elizabeth II said it was “wonderful” to be crowned monarch for her 109th birthday.

Gladys Gathergood was born in 1913 on April 21, a year before the First World War broke out.

To celebrate Gladys’ special day, she was made Queen of Springview care in Enfield, part of Springdene Care Homes.

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The home is part of Springdene Care Homes, whose CEO and chairman Michael Williams said Gladys was happy with the day’s celebrations.

He said: “Gladys said: ‘It was wonderful. Everyone was so kind to me, I’m well looked after, I’m very happy’.”

To celebrate, the room was decorated with flowers, her birthday cards, and balloons were put up with the numbers 109 and an iced cake.

Enfield Independent:

Gladys Gathergood celebrates her 109th birthday

Residents, care home staff and Gladys’ family all sang happy birthday to her.

Mr Williams believes Gladys is one of the 25 oldest people in the country.

He added: “Gladys said the secret to her longevity is that she has had a good life and is happy to be alive.

“She said some of the things that have kept her going is her faith and being a member of the Salvation Army, who she says have always supported her.”

Gladys, who has an 80-year-old daughter and grandchildren, was born in East London, and comes from a family who worked on the Great Eastern Railway.

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It is the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and many of us are looking back at Her Majesty’s reign, but Gladys was already 13 when the Queen was born.

She had already seen three monarchs on the throne before Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1952, at which point Gladys would have been 39.

“It is really quite amazing,” said Mr Williams.

Before she married and moved to Enfield, she worked as a shorthand typist.

Gladys’ party was made even more special because relatives are now allowed to visit after Covid restrictions were lifted, said Mr Williams.

He added: “Everyone is in a good mood because of that.”