Woman who entered the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest baby born at Burnley General Hospital will be celebrating King Charles' coronation

And Donna Brotherton will be watching tomorrow’s Coronation of King Charles and hosting a garden party for the occasion as she has quite a special connection to him.

Donna met the king when she was just four years old when he visited Burnley General Hospital in 1979 and heard how she started life as the world’s shortest baby, measuring only 12 inches long and tipping the scales at a tiny1lb 8oz. Although she has vague memories of meeting the prince, Donna does remember practising her courtesy for the special moment with her mum Lorraine who died last year.

Donna said: “I know my mum would have loved to see the coronation after meeting Charles all those years ago. It’s an amazing occasion and will be the first one I have seen.”

Donna, who lives in Colne with her husband Ian and their daughter Tia (16) still has many press cuttings and photographs from when her miraculous birth and survival stunned the world in July, 1975. Born in the Edith Watson Maternity Unit, where she spent the first four months of her life, Donna, who works on the reception at Whitefield Infant School and Nursery in Nelson, was that tiny her socks were the size of a 50 pence piece.

At that time medical science was not as advanced as today and doctors warned Donna’s family that she may not survive. But she proved them wrong and went on to thrive.