Prue LeithPrue Leith has revealed she chose not to go to the Palace to receive her Damehood.
The Great British Bake Off judge was given one of the biggest honours in the late Queen’s 2021 Birthday Honours List for her services to food, broadcasting and charity.
However, Prue has revealed she decided against having a traditional investiture, and there were no royals present when she was presented with the award.
Appearing on The Jonathan Ross Show on Saturday, Prue explained: “I had a letter from the Palace that said, ‘We can’t give you your Damehood for four years because there’s a backlog.’ I thought, ‘I haven’t got four years.’
“They said, ‘Your local Lord Lieutenant can do it or you can have it by post.’ So I had the Lord Lieutenant come.
“She was all dressed up in smart uniform at my house, my daughter read the citation and it was lovely and we had a drink. No royals involved.”
Prue on The Jonathan Ross ShowPrue also revealed she originally had an inappropriate motto for her coat of arms.
“You can have a coat of arms if you’re a Knight or Dame. I went with my husband and they said, ‘What do you want for your motto?’ And I said I was ‘JFDI’, by which I mean, ‘Just f-ing do it,’” she said.
“And they said, ‘We don’t think the ‘f’ will go down well in higher places.’ So I had, ‘Nothing in moderation’ [which is now also the name of her tour].”
The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday at 9.40pm on ITV1.