I should have organized a party today. It would have been at the Southbank Centre. There'd be professional friends and personal friends and they'd drink champagne. I would tap a glass and say something witty but profound to which my friends would applaud.
But I hadn't organized a party. My visit to Buckingham Palace to meet the queen and receive the award was an intimate affair accompanied by two special guests: my sister and the journalist. We drove through the iconic gates of Buckingham Palace and then through an arch into the palace itself. The car had already been checked at the gate.
Eventually the queen pinned the MBE upon my chest and we spoke for a minute or two. The journalist, My sister and I took pictures outside the palace and then drove away. The utter and unspeakable sadness of it all. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom.[1][2] The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions. In decreasing order of seniority, these are:
- Knight Grand Cross (GBE) or Dame Grand Cross (GBE)
- Knight Commander (KBE) or Dame Commander (DBE)
- Commander (CBE)
- Officer (OBE)
- Member (MBE)
Congratulations Lemn! So was that Wuleta you took with you?
Thanks Mary. No that was a different sister who doesn't want to be identified nor does 'the journalist'. She is from my mothers side. Where does the apostrophe go when I say “mothers”.