Princess Anne left stunned after Honoree snubs Royal invite

Princess Anne has been praised as "very charming" by a man who made an unusual confession during his investiture at Windsor Castle. He threw away his MBE award notice, thinking it was a scam.

Michael Bailey was honoured with an MBE for his work "flying the British flag overseas" through his specialist printing company. But the retired businessman admitted he was completely blindsided by the prestigious recognition.

"When I got the warrant saying I’d been awarded the MBE, I didn’t believe it," Bailey told GB News. "I thought, This is a scam a very clever scam."

Determined not to be duped, Bailey binned the official document. "I thought, They’re not going to catch me out,’ so I threw it in the bin," he said with a laugh.

It wasn’t until days later that his son spotted the error. “I just happened to mention to my son that I’d had this very clever scam,” Bailey recalled. “And he said, ‘Dad, what on earth have you done? That’s real!’”

Fortunately, all was resolved and the moment provided an icebreaker when Bailey finally met the Princess Royal. “She was very charming,” he said of Princess Anne, who is known for her quick wit and no-nonsense demeanour.

Bailey, whose company produces advanced collating systems, was joined by his wife of nearly 60 years, Gwen, for the ceremony. 

Originally planning to bring his daughter, he followed her suggestion to invite her own daughter instead giving his seven-year-old grandson the “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to attend.

Despite the usual three-guest limit, the palace made a special exception to accommodate the young royal fan — a gesture Bailey described as “incredibly kind.”