Mother of Northamptonshire teenager Harry Dunn ‘incredibly humbled’ to receive MBE for road safety work

Charlotte Charles, from Charlton near Brackley, has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list for her services to road safety, just as the sixth anniversary of her son’s death approaches.

The award honours her determined campaign for justice following Harry’s death, which triggered international headlines, diplomatic tensions, and changes to British and international law.

Harry, 19, died in August 2019 when a car driven by American Anne Sacoolas – who was on the wrong side of the road – hit his motorbike outside RAF Croughton. Sacoolas later fled the UK, claiming diplomatic immunity. After a lengthy legal and diplomatic battle, she appeared before a UK court in December 2022 and received a suspended sentence for causing death by careless driving.

Charlotte’s tireless campaigning has since led to the introduction of the “Harry Dunn Law,” reforms to diplomatic immunity, new road safety measures, and better policies for supporting bereaved families.

In a statement, Charlotte said: “I am incredibly humbled and honoured to receive this recognition.

“When I lost Harry, my world ended – but I made him a promise that night that I would fight for justice, and I was never going to break that.

“This award is not just for me – it’s for Harry and everyone who stood by us and fought with us.

“I only ever wanted to make sure his death was not in vain, and to protect others from the same heartbreak.

“I accept this honour with love, in Harry’s name, and with thanks to all who supported us.”

Radd Seiger, campaign coordinator for Justice4Harry, added: “Proud does not begin to come close to describing how the campaign team, our community, and I feel about Charlotte and this incredible achievement.

“When she lost Harry, she had every right to collapse – but she didn’t. Instead, she summoned the courage to do the right thing.

“Having promised Harry the night he died that she would get him justice, Charlotte took on a monumental fight that we all came to admire deeply.

“And as if that wasn’t enough, she set out to leave him a legacy.

“Thanks to her, we’ve seen changes to international law, the passing of the Harry Dunn Law, progress on tackling ambulance delays, and significant improvements in road safety.

“Charlotte has received this impressive honour for all of that – and we all owe her a profound debt of gratitude.”