Strictly’s Tess Daly receives ‘greatest honour’ by King Charles at Windsor Castle – best photos

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Strictly's Tess Daly receives 'greatest honour' by King Charles at Windsor Castle – best photos

Strictly Come Dancing co-host Tess Daly has officially been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the King. In a moving ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, King Charles honoured the TV presenter for her services to broadcasting, while her husband Vernon Kay and daughters Phoebe and Amber looked on proudly. Tess, and her co-host Claudia Winkleman, were among those named in His Majesty’s Birthday Honours list in June. For her royal outing, Tess was her usual glamorous self in a show-stopping red dress with caped shoulder detailing.

An MBE to mark the end of a Strictly era

Her visit to Windsor Castle comes shortly after Tess, 56, announced that she and Claudia would be stepping down from Strictly at the end of this year’s series. The pair have fronted the BBC One primetime show since 2014, and before that, Tess co-hosted with late presenter Sir Bruce Forsyth from the show’s launch in 2004 until 2013. Tess and Claudia’s last Strictly appearance together will be on the Christmas special, which will air on 25 December. The investiture marks the end of Tess’s impressive Strictly tenure, and recognises the two decades of service she has dedicated to the hit BBC show. Despite her sad departure, the broadcasting stalwart is set to move on to her new project – and we can’t wait to see what she does next!

See the best photos from Tess’ royal outing at Windsor Castle below.

Tess received her award in a gorgeous red dress

King Charles was on hand to welcome the honourees at Windsor Castle, among them Tess. The TV host was as stylish as ever, wearing a below-the-knee red dress with a matching hat complete with a bow and delicate netting.

The King and Tess enjoyed a warm chat, before he awarded her with her honours. Tess’s husband, Vernon Kay, 51, and teen daughters Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16, were standing proudly behind her, with both Phoebe and Amber in white dresses while Vernon sported a navy suit.

Tess says MBE is ‘greatest honour of my career’

During her conversation with the monarch, Tess spoke to the King about Strictly and reflected on the “greatest” honour bestowed on her. According to PA Media, Tess said: “This is probably the greatest honour of my career and it still feels quite surreal to be honest with you. I’ve been working in television for 25 years, and it’s a job I absolutely love to do.

“It was a real privilege to be in a room of people who have made a difference in their communities, who have built incredible careers. It was a very inspiring environment.”

She added: “His Majesty put me at ease – I was quite nervous. We talked about the show and I know the Queen enjoys it. She sent me a letter of congratulations when I received the MBE which meant the world.”

“He (the King) thanked me for the work I have done for his charity as well – the King’s Trust. We talked about the funds that it’s raised and how many young people’s lives this has made a huge difference to and I’m very proud to be an ambassador of this charity.”

Tess continued: “It’s just incredible to be welcomed into a royal residence by a member of the royal family, the King no less, and to have such an honour bestowed upon you is something that you don’t take lightly. I will never forget this day for the rest of my life.”

As for who she will be dedicating this award to, Tess said: “It’s for my family as much as it is for myself. If I could dedicate it to anyone, I would dedicate it to my late dad because he’d be so proud of his daughter meeting the King, in a castle.”

Speaking about her shock departure from Strictly, the co-host said: “I love the show, it’s wonderful and it’s just fantastic to have worked on it for as many years as I have. It’s been such a great opportunity to work with incredibly talented people. Obviously for me, there’s no show like it. I will miss it but I’m quite looking forward to a lie-in on Saturday morning – and new ventures in the new year.”

As for her replacement, Tess is as in the dark as we are: “I have no idea,” she admitted. “It’s not up to me. I’ll be watching at home with Claudia – we’ll be watching the launcher together!”

Tess Daly with her husband Vernon Kay and their daughter Phoebe Kay

Camilla ‘biggest’ royal fan of Strictly

The royal family’s admiration for Strictly Come Dancing has been well-documented over the years. Queen Camilla, in particular, has long been the show’s most passionate royal supporter, having spent time with the cast and crew in 2019. Speaking exclusively to HELLO! at the time, Tess revealed: “Camilla is a fan, she has been to visit us in the studio before and she spent half a day with us and it was wonderful, she was absolutely part of the whole process during the dress rehearsals, at the judge’s desk, handling the panels and she really enjoyed her day.

“She’s such a lovely lady and she actually invited all of our crew to Buckingham Palace two years ago and we filmed part of our routine there for Christmas. She is a patron of the Osteoporosis society, so she hosted it for members of the charity in the ballroom in Buckingham Palace. It was just wonderful and she was part of it and she had a dance with our pros and it was just such a wonderful day, so it’s a huge compliment that she and Charles are fans of the show.”

In February 2024, Camilla herself declared she was “one of Strictly’s greatest fans” as she was joined by professional dancer Johannes Radebe as he coached Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) staff and volunteers during one of her royal engagements. She also previously appeared in Strictly’s 2017 Christmas special, dancing with judge Craig Revel Horwood at Buckingham Palace. Afterwards, Craig said on BBC Breakfast: “She was fantastic. We danced for the Royal Osteoporosis Society, she raised awareness and money for that charity, which was great. She loves dancing. She actually loves the show and I would love to see her on there because she would nail it, darling. She’s got fantastic rhythm.”

Tess showed her new award in a red caped dress

Royal visits to Strictly

Apart from the Queen, other royals who have also made low-key visits to the BBC studios include the Princess of Wales and her two youngest children Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and the Duchess of Edinburgh and her daughter Lady Louise Windsor. In 2023, the Waleses were given a tour of the costume department where Louis tried on a gold crown. They also met Tess, Claudia and some of the show’s dancers, as well as taking turns in the glitzy judges’ seats.

And in 2018, Sophie and Louise appeared in the audience to watch one of the live shows. Presenter Tess later revealed the visit was a 15th birthday treat for Louise. “It was lovely to have them there, we are very fortunate we have a few fans in the royal household… They did absolutely [get a backstage tour],” she told HELLO! at the time. “Lady Louise was celebrating turning 15 and she said it was a treat to come and visit the show. She’s a big fan, herself and her mother. They enjoyed all the action from the front row and they had a great night. It was great to welcome them.”

EastEnders star Anita Dobson was honoured alongside Tess

Who else was honoured with Tess Daly at Windsor Castle?

Alongside Tess, former EastEnders star Anita Dobson, 76, was made an OBE for her services to charitable fundraising and philanthropy. Best known for her role as Angie Watts in the long-running soap, she is also a patron of several charities including Thames Hospice and Focus Foundation.

Sir James Cleverly was knighted

Meanwhile, Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin – who led the search for Sarah Everard’s murderer in 2021 and saw the conviction of Wayne Couzens – received a King’s Police Medal and shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly received his knighthood after being awarded in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list.

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