Coronation Street star issues one-word verdict on Prince William after royal ceremony

Coronation Street star issues one-word verdict on Prince William after royal ceremony Sally Lindsay has revealed the one-word verdict she gave Prince William after he presented her with an MBE, sharing a touching moment from the special day Senior royal Prince William has been described in a single word after he presented a recipient with an MBE. An MBE, which stands for Member of the Order of the British Empire, is the third-highest-ranking honour that can be bestowed. It sits behind an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) and CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire), yet above the BEM (British Empire Medal). Each year, recipients of these prestigious medals are announced, with some individuals receiving an MBE while others are elevated to an OBE, for instance. Among those honoured was Coronation Street actress Sally Lindsay, who graced the ITV soap between 2001 and 2006. She later appeared in The Madame Blanc Mysteries and the BBC sitcom Still Open All Hours. However, at the end of 2025, she was told by letter that she was being made an MBE before she was then presented with it by the future King. Speaking to Woman magazine, she spoke about what it was like being given her MBE by Prince William. Speaking glowingly of him, she said: "The Prince of Wales was lovely. He knew exactly who I was and what I'd done. He asked me when I left Coronation Street. I said, '21 years ago', and he replied, 'Oh God, I feel so old.' I joked, 'You feel old?'. It was a special day." Although the ceremony was a highlight, when Sally was originally told about the honour, she thought the letter coming through her door was to do with parking. She explained: "It was just before last Christmas that I got the letter telling me about my MBE. "Before it arrived, I'd been going back and forth about a parking fine. I'd paid for my parking (but they thought I hadn't), and it was all about the principle. "So when the letter arrived, it was dead official, with a stamp on the front. And my first thought was, 'Oh God, they are taking me to court.' They've dropped the parking fine now because we had the evidence. But that is what my first thought was!" Reflecting on how she felt upon hearing the news of her MBE, Sally added: "I was in shock. This was out of my comfort zone, and I thought, 'What have I done?' But then you think, 'Oh well, I've been doing it for 30 years,' and so I think I've got it." Alongside praising Prince William, Sally also recalled her interactions with the staff at Windsor Castle. Upon learning they were working class, she said she had "got" her "tribe", before dedicating her MBE to working-class actors across the industry. In a statement at the time her award was given, Sally said: "Throughout my career I have met incredible people, made life-long friends and worked on many memorable projects. I would like to dedicate this award to the rest of the 8% of working class people who make up my industry and hope in the future there will be many more of us." Ensure our latest Royal and Celebrity News headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.