A 'Gypsy Queen' described as the "Lady Diana of the travelling community" has died - and now her family claim EVERY ferry to Ireland is fully booked by funeral goers.

Travellers from across Europe arrived in a sports cars to say goodbye to Violet Crumlish, 59, when she was being treated for terminal bowel cancer in Bristol.

Since mid-August makeshifts camps have been set up on Durdham Downs in Sneyd Park, as well as Lockleaze, Horfield, Clifton, Bedminster and Stoke Gifford.

The mother-of-13 passed away on Saturday at Weston General Hospital surrounded by all of her children and their partners.

Her family has flown her body back to Ireland for a royal send off, and her family are expecting hundreds of people to attend.

One of Violet's five sons Jimmy said: "All of the ferries to Ireland from England and Europe are booked up for the next three days - people are coming from all over the world to say goodbye.

"She was a lovely caring woman.

"She would never seen anyone wronged or harmed, her door was always open to everyone no matter who you were. She was completely non-judgemental."

The wake will be held in Belfast tomorror and her funeral will take place in Country Armagh on Thursday.

Another son Owen Crumlish said: "The hospital staff made her very peaceful and very comfortable.

"About 9,000 people came to see her in total and she was very touched. She had a lot of friends and people came from all over the world to see her.

"She had five sons and eight daughters and too many grandchildren to count, but she was also a mother figure to so many others in the community.

"She was married to my father for 44 years and he has been left heartbroken."