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At 11, Carmela Chillery-Watson Receives MBE at Windsor, Believed Youngest Recipient

Her honour recognises years of campaigning that helped Muscular Dystrophy UK raise more than £400,000.

Overview

  • Carmela was invested at Windsor Castle and met the Prince of Wales, whom she described as very nice.
  • The Government says it believes she is the youngest person to receive an MBE, though incomplete historical records prevent full confirmation.
  • Diagnosed in 2017 with a rare muscle-wasting condition affecting about one in a million children, she has turned advocacy into sustained fundraising.
  • She has led around 25 fundraising and awareness initiatives and said she was left speechless when she learned of the honour.
  • The ceremony also recognised other King's Birthday Honours recipients, including paralympian Monica Vaughan with an OBE and broadcaster Claudia Winkleman with an MBE.