A woman is following the footsteps of royalty this spring when she marries for the second time in the same year as a royal.

Gill Foley, 54, was born in Thornton Heath and married her first husband, Kevin Foley, in 1981 in a white wedding at Emmanuel Church in South Croydon.

The mother of two was married to Mr Foley from the age of 24 until two years ago when he died but the pair remained good friends and he was even due to give her away in May.

The first wedding was just two months before Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married.

Mrs Foley said: “The first time I got married I didn't really think about it.

“We just got married in the same year so there wasn't much of a link but when Wills and Kate announced their wedding it seemed a bit of a coincidence.”

“I was married to Kevin until his death two years ago but we separated 16 years before that.

“We remained really good friends and he was even going to give me away.

“He kept joking with Paul that he had to marry me soon because he didn't want to take me back.”

More than 600,000 people descended on London to catch a glimpse of Princess Diana and Charles on their wedding day.

Charles' and Diana's wedding cost around £30m in 1981 compared to the “Three or four thousand” spent by Mrs Foley.

Around 100 people attended Mrs Foley's wedding while 3,500 people packed out St. Paul's Cathedral for Charles and Diana.

Mrs Foley will marry for the second time to husband to be, Paul Cronin, on May 6 at the Alexandra House Hotel in East Grinstead.

Prince William and Catherine Middleton will marry on April 29 at Westminster Abbey.