OUR CEO RECEIVES MBE FROM KING

Our Charlotte Kneer MBE DL visited Buckingham Palace for her investiture, held by His Majesty King Charles III, receiving her MBE for services to survivors of Domestic Abuse.

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Charlotte said this about her experience in an interview with James Cannon:

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"What an experience. Obviously its not just me who's working in the charity- I have an amazing team of 28. We have all worked so hard to get the charity to where it is. The MBE was for supporting domestic abuse survivors in Surrey.

I am so honoured to have received the MBE.

It was so surreal, there were thousands of people on the other side of the gate as you stepped into Buckingham Palace, I'm not sure why but that felt really odd.

You go in and there are guards on the stairs with swords!

You walk through all of these amazing huge rooms and galleries. The paintings on the walls were so incredible, it's really awe inspiring.

Then you get taken into the music room with my three guests, two of my children and my husband.

You get taken through to the Throne room, you get told what you have to do- you walk forward a few paces, you curtesy, you walk forward and then afterwards you have to walk backwards, you curtsey again, you can't turn your back on the king!

So I was trying to remember all of these before I had my chance to speak to the king- I was thinking 'I must get this right, I must get this right!'

And then as soon as he shook my hand it was fine! He was lovely, he was so warm, he had obviously been thoroughly briefed about what we do.

He was really interested, he asked how we are getting on with dealing with domestic abuse, 'are we nearly there?' and I was just telling him how difficult it still is but how the Queen consort has really been helpful by raising the profile of domestic abuse publicly.

Then of I went, shuffling backwards and off I went! It was just like a whirlwind!"

We are so proud of Charlotte, she truly is an inspiration to her family, her friends and all of us at I Choose Freedom. Thank you for all your hard work, you deserve the recognition you have received!

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