Carmela Chillery-Watson, 11, was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours for her services to charitable fundraising after raising over £400,000 for Muscular Dystrophy UK
An 11 year old girl believed to be the youngest person ever awarded an MBE has revealed she was left “speechless” upon discovering her remarkable honour.
Carmela Chillery-Watson received recognition in the King’s Birthday Honours for her incredible charitable fundraising efforts. The youngster battles a rare muscle wasting condition that impacts just one in a million children globally.
Following her diagnosis in 2017 at the tender age of three, Carmela has since spearheaded approximately 25 fundraising and awareness initiatives, helping Muscular Dystrophy UK amass over £400,000.
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After Wednesday’s investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle, Carmela described being rendered “speechless” when she opened the letter revealing her accolade.
“I never would have thought that I would have got an MBE, I just wanted to do what I did to change communities. But this is absolutely incredible. I just never would have thought this would have happened in a million years.”
Whilst the Government considers Carmela the youngest-ever MBE recipient, it lacks complete historical records to definitively verify this claim. Carmela praised the Prince of Wales as “very nice” and revealed they chatted about her charitable endeavours and the substantial funds she’d generated.
Paralympic swimmer and volleyball star Monica Vaughan, 73, also collected an honour at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, receiving an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her sporting contributions. Vaughan described receiving an OBE as the “cherry on the top” of her previous honours, adding: “It is quite amazing.”
Yesterday TV presenter Claudia Winkleman also accepted an MBE from the King as she was joined by her proud husband at Windsor Castle.
Claudia and her Strictly Come Dancing co-host Tess Daly were both made MBEs in the King’s Birthday Honours for their services to broadcasting. Just weeks after the announcement, the duo announced that they will be leaving the BBC dance show after fronting it together since 2014.
Claudia donned an all white suit for the occasion along with a pair of matching stiletto heels and a headband over her signature glossy locks. As she collected the honour, Claudia was seen cracking a joke with King Charles whose wife Queen Camilla is a known fan of Strictly. Claudia and Tess were both sent personal letters from the Queen after their MBE’s were announced, with Tess calling her visit to Windsor Castle ‘the proudest day of her life’.
