THERE was a time when Royalty graced Kenilworth Castle.
Go back more than 400 years and you may have seen Queen Elizabeth I at the Warwickshire landmark.
Fast forward four centuries and Ti Colluney, of Beeston Rylands, also experienced life as a monarch – thanks to a competition on Facebook.
Ti, 43, entered the contest run by English Heritage which asked people to say why they deserved to be monarchs for the day.
She said: "My daughter Victoria has severe dyslexia but has managed to find ways of dealing with that and be top of her class in English, maths and science.
"She has always wanted to be a Princess at a castle and this seemed to be the perfect competition to enter."
Ti said she was delighted when she found out she had won. "I was excited, especially for Victoria," she added. "She jumped up and down celebrating."
Ti, daughter Victoria, 14, and husband Sean, 47, went to the castle and were given a tour before donning their robes.
Ti wore a green and gold robe, Victoria a dark red and gold robe and a purple velvet cloak with fur trimmings. All wore crowns.
The family were taken to their thrones and watched combat events and were invited to present the prizes to the winners of the Knights Tournament, a competition at English Heritage sites around the country.
Ti added: "It was a lot of fun for us all. It was a very memorable day. It felt great being in those costumes. People were taking lots of photos of us.
"Everyone was so friendly and we really enjoyed having a VIP tour of the castle. And the costumes were awesome, but we did need some help figuring out how to get one or two items on."
The family were also given a year's freedom of the castle, meaning they can go back whenever they want.
"We will certainly be going back for a picnic," added Ti.
The castle was the home of Robert Dudley, the great love of Queen Elizabeth I. Dudley created an ornate palace to impress his Queen in 1575.
"It has been quite a long time since a member of the royal family watched over a medieval tournament at Kenilworth Castle, but the Colluney family filled the role fantastically, and played along with the roles brilliantly throughout the day," said the castle's property manager Holly Woodward.
