Advertisement
News

Big Issue vendor Will Herbert: ‘The day I saw the Queen made me proud to be British’

London seller Will Herbert attended the opening of parliament in 2017 to see the Queen’s Speech in person as a guest of Big Issue founder Lord Bird

Big Issue vendor Will Herbert said the moment he watched Queen Elizabeth deliver the Queen’s Speech from Parliament’s royal gallery made him “proud to be British” as he paid tribute to the late monarch.

The 62-year-old vendor, who sells the magazine at Budgens in Islington, north London, was invited to the opening of parliament in June 2017 as a guest of Big Issue founder and crossbench peer Lord John Bird.

Herbert said seeing the Queen in person had a profound influence on him as he recalled the experience following the royal’s death on Thursday.

“Watching her deliver her speech, she made me feel so proud to be British,” said Herbert, who has been selling the Big Issue magazine since it launched in 1991.

“She will be locked away in my heart now that she is gone. I feel so sad but, on a nice note, 96 years is a long innings. Buckingham Palace will never look the same without her.”

Herbert rubbed shoulders with then-prime minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in a House of Commons packed with politicians and dignitaries back in 2017.

Advertisement
Advertisement

His visit graced the cover of the Big Issue complete with a shot of him sitting on the roof the Houses of Parliament in his suit.

At the time he said seeing the Queen was “like a fairy story” following his history of homelessness and his battle with addiction.

“I feel amazing. I feel like a movie star. I feel a million dollars! I have come a long way,” Herbert told the Big Issue on the day. “I never thought I’d be here. To be honest, this is a dream. How many people in the world get to see the Queen? It’s just fantastic. Me seeing the Queen is like a fairy story.”

He added: “It was so good to be in the same room as the Queen. Bless her, she looked the picture I always knew her to be. She was smaller than I thought though. So was Prince Charles. I was about 10 feet away. I felt like royalty. I felt like one of the Lords myself.”

Advertisement

Become a Big Issue member

3.8 million people in the UK live in extreme poverty. Turn your anger into action - become a Big Issue member and give us the power to take poverty to zero.

Recommended for you

Read All
Cash-strapped council warns it's at breaking point as neighbour places homeless people in its town
homeless peoples' tents in street
Homelessness

Cash-strapped council warns it's at breaking point as neighbour places homeless people in its town

Disabled people losing jobs and 'falling out of work' due to months-long waits for DWP support
disabled person working
Disability rights

Disabled people losing jobs and 'falling out of work' due to months-long waits for DWP support

Homeless families occupy council housing offices on Halloween in plea to fix 'houses of horror'
Homeless families at a protest about council housing
Homelessness

Homeless families occupy council housing offices on Halloween in plea to fix 'houses of horror'

'Back to cost of living crisis': Households will be £770 worse off by next UK election, experts say
woman in supermarket
Cost of living crisis

'Back to cost of living crisis': Households will be £770 worse off by next UK election, experts say

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue