Crazy Hats breast cancer charity founder Glennis has ‘incredible experience’ accepting MBE honour from King Charles III

Glennis Hooper, who was announced as a recipient of the MBE in the New Year’s Honours List last year, visited Windsor Castle to accept the award. Glennis has raised £3.5m over Crazy Hats’ 20-year span, until its final donation in December 2021.

She said: “It was an amazingly, incredible experience, a once-in-a-lifetime day. It’s such an honour - and so lucky, especially as this was the last investiture of the year.

“To chat with him and shake hands was just so, so lovely, and such a proud moment for anyone connected with Crazy Hats over the years.

"My love and thanks to whoever it was who put me forward, this was such a fitting tribute to the charity as a whole.”

Joined by her sister, niece and friend Linda, Glennis said she had a wonderful couple of days talking to other recipients, their families and many tourists who had enjoyed seeing the formalities unfold.

She only found out that the King would be in attendance when she saw the Royal Standard flag flying overhead, which signals the presence of the reigning monarch.

King Charles presented the medal to Glennis, and knew all about her charitable deeds supporting those with breast cancer, calling them ‘splendid’.

In response, Glennis asked how he was, to which his Highness noted that he was putting up with the 'blessed cancer treatment' after the announcement of his cancer diagnosis in February. She caringly responded ‘keep going’, to which the King laughed.

However, swept up in the pressure of the ceremony, Glennis realised ‘in horror’ that she had made a faux pas, after she forgot to curtsy a second time after receiving the medal, as is customary. Embarrassed, Glennis ‘turned and did a kind of half curtsy/half bob.’

The New Year’s Honours List included names such as Hollywood director Ridley Scott (OBE), Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke and music icon Shirley Bassey, the latter of which Glennis congratulated when the pair were stood together.

Thankfully for Glennis, Shirley Bassey also forgot to curtsy.