Well, what can I say…what a special few weeks I’ve had! It first started on 30th December last year. My friend text me out of the blue, “you’re on the King’s New Year Honours’ List!”. I couldn’t believe it; I had to see for myself. There it was, in black and white.
Charlotte Anne Luckett, principal surveyor at the Valuation Office Agency, awarded the BEM for public service and charitable works.
I had received a letter from the Cabinet Office in early December saying I’d been nominated for a British Empire Medal, but there were some final checks to be made and the last hurdle, the King had to approve the nomination. The letter was very clear; I could not discuss the contents of the letter with anyone. This was hard, I was bursting to tell my nearest and dearest. I did what I was told. As I had not heard anything further, I just assumed I did not make the “cut”. So, the first time I knew the about the Honour was from the text I’d received from my friend.
Throughout that day I received many messages from my friends congratulating me; some in tears of joy. It really was a special day. It did, however, become slightly overwhelming if I’m completely honest. The only way I could explain it would be to say it was bittersweet. I was being honoured by the King because I had lost my brother, Martyn, in July 2005 from a sudden cardiac death. He was aged just 19.
That night I cried. It really did have an emotional impact. I am sure others who have lost in the same way could understand.
So, a couple weeks later, I received a letter from the Lieutenant of Devon, congratulating me on my Honour and informing me that I will receive further information in due course. In April I received the invite to attend the award ceremony at Devon County Hall. Then in quick succession I received an invite to a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
My fiancé, David, and my sons, George and Henry, and I attended the local awards ceremony where 8 others were awarded a BEM. It was a very special event. I purchased suits for the boys and a new outfit for me. We all looked the part. The boys were the only children there and surprisingly behaved impeccably the entire time (all parents will understand this)! The entire day was just an honour to be a part of. A summary of why each person receiving the Honour was read out; it was very humbling to be part of this cohort. So many good people who had done great things in their community.
We were given our medals and treated to a cream tea; just perfect.
The next stop, Buckingham Palace! I wanted my Mum to share the experience of Buckingham Palace with me because of all the fundraising she’d done over the years and the heartbreak she’d experienced with losing Mart. Mother and daughter time, just a perfect combination!
The invite came, which was all so fancy…the build-up began. The outfits, shoes and fascinators were planned weeks in advance. It was such an exciting lead up.
Mum and I got a black cab to the Palace, passing all these people dressed up in all their finery; it was such a spectacle. We lined up to enter the Palace gates. So many ‘selfies’ with Buckingham Palace in the background. Everybody was excited and there was a real buzz in the air.
We were directed around to the gardens where there was a brass band playing on the lawn, everyone was stood around taking in the atmosphere. Thankfully the weather was dry, although a slight wind in the air…enough for some hats to go flying! So many beautiful dresses, we spent most of the time admiring all of the outfits.
We lined up for our Royal High Tea. The menu was very fancy. There were lots of finger food on offer including very delicate cakes that tasted as good as they looked. Many hours would have been put in, to carefully curate such an event for so many people. We spoke to lots of people who attended; each had their own impressive stories to tell. It really was a feel-good event, and I felt very humbled being a part of it.
The King and Queen arrived; everyone got to their feet and the National Anthem was played. Mum and I stayed a little back with it being slightly overwhelming.
We then took a walk around the gardens. By this point our feet were a little sore from not being used to fancy shoes, so we took them off! You can take a girl out the countryside, but you can’t take the countryside out of the girl. The grass was so soft and came as a welcome relief from them being so restricted. Mum loved the gardens; they were simply beautiful. The rose beds were just out of this world. The colours from the flowers were exquisite. It was a real haven, right in the centre of London.
The whole event was 3 hours long, but the time just flew by. I haven’t seen so much joy in my Mum’s face for such a long time. We both soaked up every moment. It was weird, but I felt Mart was there with us all the time. We will always be thankful for being part of this and most importantly finding our CRY family amongst our darkest days.
Thank you to everyone at CRY for all your support over the years, it really is appreciated.