Queen Honors a Real Life Tea Lady

The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom. Candidates are submitted by the public or by government departments and then Honours Committees meet to discuss the candidates and decide which ones deserve which type of award and at what level. You have probably heard the names of some of these awards such as The Most Noble Order of the Garter and The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE's, OBE's, and MBE's).

The MBE Medal

A complete list of the chosen candidates' names is published twice a year ..... providing for lots of great gossip! Over a period of months, the awards are presented by the Queen (or her representative) at investiture ceremonies.

Isa Allan

Hundreds of those who make the list are very ordinary people like teachers, school crossing wardens - and even one time, a tea lady!

Isa Allan, 62, who had been the tea lady at a Scottish corporation for 18 years, was nominated for an MBE in 2003 by the corporation's chairman, Sir Ian Robinson.

He called her the "heart and soul" of the corporation.

"She is adored by members of staff - she knows each of them and makes each member of staff feel they are being treated as an individual," he said.

"She also has a real talent for being a sympathetic ear to turn to - often giving up her own time outside work to do this."

Mrs. Allan said she was "stunned and amazed" to become an MBE, adding: "All I do is treat everyone as if they were a member of my own family." (Source: BBC)