BIXBY, Okla. — The quilt of King Charles is the first thing you see when entering Dee Bushrod's home. She spent hours working on it and hours writing letters to charities in hopes of landing tickets to a coronation event for her best friend Jess, who was recently diagnosed with incurable cancer.
"About a month ago I received notification that one of the breast cancer charities had come through and she has two tickets to the official concert at Windsor Castle," said Dee Bushrod, a native of England now living in Bixby.
Jess and her mother are going to the Windsor Castle Coronation Concert.
"In the meantime, my mum entered for me and her, our names, to be put in a lottery happening in England. People from the lottery would be picked to attend the Windsor Castle Concert."
Then Dee's mom received an email saying congratulations. They were selected too!
"So, I immediately scramble and get hold of my friend Jess and we're just giddy with excitement!" Bushrod added. "And my husband's looking at flights and the whole thing is just amazing getting to experience this with her."
Only when they rushed to claim the tickets the website presented a screen that said all of the tickets were claimed. She and thousands of others who received the lottery email from Ticketmaster are now furious.
"Obviously there are a lot of people like me who got the email saying they got the tickets and really they didn't," she added.
Dee's high hopes were quickly dashed. So, the woman who spent weeks quilting her queen's image and later sent it to the royal family before last year's Platinum Jubilee event, now plans to decorate her Bixby home - and her pugs Winky and Bella - for the upcoming Coronation of King Charles III. Her mother sent elaborate costumes similar to the King's royal outfit for the dogs to wear. She is planning to have friends over for British tea that day, and may even make a traditional dish called Coronation Chicken. She is glad that Jess will have the opportunity to attend the coronation concert yet wishes she could be there with her best friend.
"I am not well connected. So, no - this is it. The end of the road," Bushrod said sadly. "But I'll watch it on the TV and maybe I'll see her and spot her in the crowd."
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
