Alan Titchmarsh, 75, has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his efforts in horticulture and charity. This is the most prestigious rank in the British Empire honours system. The gardener and broadcaster received the award at Windsor Castle earlier today.
Alan was snapped proudly showcasing his award in front of the castle grounds as he grinned from ear to ear. The Love Your Garden presenter attended the Investure ceremony alongside his supportive wife, Alison. The pair, who share a love for gardening have been married for 50 years. Alan, who grew up in Yorkshire, has become the nation’s beloved gardening guru with decades of expertise under his belt.
Over the years, he has imparted countless horticultural tips and tricks to his viewers, helping them cultivate their dream gardens.
He and wife Alison reside in a stunning Grade-II listed Georgian farmhouse in Hampshire, boasting an expansive green space that Alan has meticulously transformed over many years.
Also in attendance at the Investiture ceremony was athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson who received a Member of the Order of the British Emipire (MBE) award.
During the ceremony, The King who personally delivered serveal awards appeared in good spirits despite his recent cancer diagnosis. Katarina said after the ceremony: “He seemed in good spirits. You know it’s long, all day, because so many people are getting honoured today. So he seems in really good spirits and I’m happy to see that he’s fit and well.”
Just last November, royal officials had reportedly considered making “radical changes” to the way the King’s honours are titled. Officials contemplated removing the word ‘Empire’ from the Honours system which dates back to 1066.
The move would allow anyone awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) to instead opt for an Order of British ‘Excellence’, while an alternative Order of Elizabeth, in memory of the late Queen, had also been suggested. But traditional colonial-era titles would reportedly still be available for those who wish to accept them.
These changes were down to Sir Keir Starmer’s government, according to reports from MailOnline.
In his updated biography of the King, the Mail’s Robert Hardman cited a senior Palace official as saying: “Any change is a matter for the government, but I think that they would find that this place was pretty open to the idea.”
This potential shift came amid growing scrutiny of the British Empire’s legacy, with calls from Caribbean nations for the UK to pay hundreds of billions in reparations for the slave trade.
In recent years, several public figures who were offered OBE’s declined them due to term “empire”.
Last year, actor Alan Cumming returned his OBE citing “misgivings about being associated with the toxicity of empire”, while poet Benjamin Zephaniah, whose parents come from the Caribbean, turned down an OBE in 2003, saying: “I get angry when I hear that word ’empire’. It reminds me of slavery.”
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