Former Love Island and TOWIE star Georgia Harrison has shared the hilarious and heartfelt details of receiving her MBE from Prince William, admitting a key moment went a 'little bit wrong'.
A Surreal Honour at Windsor Castle
Georgia Harrison was awarded her MBE in a ceremony at Windsor Castle in October. The honour, announced in the King's Birthday Honours list, recognised her significant contributions to combating online privacy violations and raising awareness of cyber crimes.
Her campaigning work began after she was targeted by an ex-partner, Stephen Bear, who shared intimate videos of her online. Bear was subsequently jailed for voyeurism and distributing private intimate images. He served 10 and a half months of a 21-month sentence before his release.
Harrison has since become a prominent campaigner, working tirelessly with the domestic violence charity Refuge and lobbying for legislative change to protect women and girls online.
The Royal Encounter That 'Cracked Up' The Prince
Speaking on the Loose Women panel on Friday, December 5, Harrison described the 'magical moment' of meeting the Prince of Wales while pregnant with her daughter, Sahara.
"You don't find out until the day it's going to be Prince William and I was so excited," she said, adding she looked forward to telling her daughter she had met the future King.
However, the protocol did not go entirely to plan. "They talk you through how you approach him and how to curtsey, which I may have got a little bit wrong," Harrison confessed. "When I curtsied I fell over and the Prince actually cracked up and he was really laughing."
She joked, "He'll be like 'don't bring a Love Islander in here again'."
A Conversation on Future Online Safety
Beyond the light-hearted stumble, the meeting held profound significance for Harrison. She revealed that Prince William was already aware of her ordeal and commended her bravery.
"He asked what else I thought needed to change to help protect women online and protect children of the future," Harrison explained. She saw it as a rare opportunity to discuss policies that could shape the world her daughter will grow up in.
Reflecting on the overall experience, she called it a 'once in a lifetime moment' and the biggest honour of her life, second only to becoming a mother.
