King Charles injected humour into an honours ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, telling former chancellor Sir Jeremy Hunt to "keep trying" with his book on making Britain "great again."
The 59-year-old Conservative MP received his knighthood alongside other prominent figures including Dame Penny Mordaunt and TV presenter Claudia Winkleman. Hunt described the King's response as delivered "with a twinkle in his eye" when he mentioned his writing project.
Hunt said: «He asked me what I was doing, and I said I was writing a book on how to make Britain great again, and he said, 'Well, keep trying', with a twinkle in his eye.»
The newly knighted politician used the occasion to thank the King for two personal gestures. Charles had visited Dame Sarah Anderson at Royal Trinity Hospice in Clapham Common on December 5 to award her a damehood. The suicide prevention charity founder died two days later on Sunday.
Hunt said: «I thanked him because he visited the hospice last week and gave a damehood to a friend of mine, which was an incredible thing to do because she sadly passed away on Sunday, so he made a special journey to see her, and I think my friend was incredibly moved by that.»
The King had also written a letter to Hunt's 11-year-old daughter after she contacted him during his illness. Hunt described feeling «a bit overwhelmed and very humbled» by the knighthood, calling it «a very special day for my family.»
Royal in good spirits
Dame Penny Mordaunt, the 52-year-old former Commons leader and Navy reservist, received her damehood for political and public service. She carried the Sword of State during the King's coronation in 2023.
Mordaunt said the King was in «very good form» despite a busy week that included hosting the German president. She described the coronation as a «great honour» and joked about the sword's weight: «Very. But I recommend Navy drill training to anyone considering the role.»
Winkleman honoured ahead of Strictly exit
Claudia Winkleman received an MBE for services to broadcasting, joined by her husband Kris Thykier and mother Eve Pollard. The 53-year-old Traitors host will make her final Strictly Come Dancing appearance in the Christmas special airing December 25.
Her co-host Tess Daly received the same honour in November. The pair have fronted Strictly together since 2014.
Queen Camilla, a known fan of Strictly, sent personal congratulatory letters to both presenters. Daly described her ceremony as «probably the greatest honour of my career» and said the King thanked her for her work with the King's Trust charity.
Other honourees
Wheelchair tennis champion Andy Lapthorne also received an honour at the ceremony. Mother and daughter Alison Madgin and Carly Barrett were awarded MBEs for their work preventing knife crime through their organization Samantha's Legacy, founded after Madgin's 18-year-old daughter Samantha was stabbed to death in Wallsend in 2007.
James Cleverly and Sir Jeremy Hunt both received knighthoods as part of Rishi Sunak's resignation honours.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
