?
Her Majesty The Queen awarded Double Dragon Alliance president Rose Oliver her MBE on 28th June 2011, at an investiture ceremony in Buckingham Palace.
Double Dragon Alliance was founded to foster goodwill, understanding, friendship and cross-cultural ties that benefit all and in recognition of her endeavours, Rose was awarded her MBE in The Queen’s 2011 New Year’s Honours List for her work with DDA, in promoting intercultural relations, communication and friendship, particularly between China and the UK.
The ceremony was held in the Grand Ballroom at the Palace and was attended by over 500 people, including other recipients’ and their guests, as well as Royal courtiers and equerries.
At the awards ceremony, Rose was joined by her parents, who are both in their seventies and Mr. Wang Ming Bo, one of her best and oldest friends in Shanghai, as her official guests at the investiture.
Rose, along with her parents and Mr. Wang enjoyed a fantastic time at the awards ceremony and Rose was privileged to meet many other recipients of awards, including OBE recipient Ms. Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics pop group, for her charity work for Oxfam, members of the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy for gallantry and bravery, as well as ordinary members of the public for devotion to their communities and charitable works.
?
?
The day was a very special and proud moment in both Rose’s and her family’s lives and she wishes to extend her gratitude and best wishes to all who have supported and aided her and Double Dragon Alliance over the years.
On the day we drove to Buckingham Palace, which is in the heart of London near Trafalgar Square, braving the early morning London traffic, which rivals Shanghai’s busy rush hour, but without the benefit of the wide, straight roads!
On arrival at the Palace, we first had our car inspected by 6 members of the Special Forces, as a security precaution for everyone entering the Palace that day.
Generally, Buckingham Palace is not open to the public, like other stately homes such as Windsor Castle, only those especially invited to certain official or state functions are privileged to enter inside the gates and into the inner sanctum.
On arrival inside the quadrangle, we were able to take our own photos of where Prince William and Princess Kate recently entered the Palace as husband and wife, after their wedding at Westminster Abbey.
Welcomed into the reception area by a yeoman of the guard and members of the Royal Household, we were shown up the Grand Staircase, usually only trod by Presidents, Prime Ministers and Royalty, making our way to the Grand Banquet Hall and Grand Ballroom.
Here, my parents and Mr. Wang Ming Bo went in alone and I was guided to one of the sumptuous ceremonial reception rooms to mingle with the other award recipients, who were being rewarded for acts of bravery in action, global charitable works, long-standing service to the community and for educational services in the Commonwealth, to be briefed by the head of the Royal Household.
The rooms in Buckingham Palace are decorated with priceless works of art and great splendour, with original Rembrandt paintings amongst others gracing the walls.
The luxurious surroundings in themselves were enough to make the day memorable, but the following ceremony with all its pomp and tradition took our breath away.
One by one, we filed into the Grand Ballroom for our audience with The Queen, who had been escorted in by her Gurkha bodyguards and other members of her Royal retinue, including several Beefeater guards, whose regiment dates back to the late 14th Century.
As I waited my turn to approach Her Majesty, I quickly practiced my curtsey, whilst simultaneously feasting my eyes on the magnificence surrounding me.
The Royal Staff were the epitome of courtesy, good-breeding and gentlemanly deportment and it was a pleasure to be in their company, as well as the heroes and great achievers receiving their awards alongside me.
When my name was finally called, I walked forward to face Her Majesty, curtsied and then stepped forward for my audience with The Queen.
First, Her Majesty decorated me with my MBE medal and then proceeded to ask me about my life in China. Well versed on all the award recipients’ work, Her Majesty asked me about the changes I must have seen over the years here in China, plus the work I was involved in. She expressed great interest in my life in Shanghai, the changes I’d witnessed and Chinese culture.
She also praised the work that Double Dragon Alliance was involved in, promoting intercultural friendship and understanding, saying that fostering friendship and understanding between, peoples and cultures was at the heart of developing international friendship and cooperation, essential for real global harmony and encouraged me to keep up my work in this important field.
After my audience, The Queen shook my hand and I stepped back to make my final curtsey and leave her presence.
Afterwards, I made my way back to the recipients’ seating area to watch the remainder of the ceremony.
After the last awards were presented to several military personnel for their bravery in action and the rescue of over 20 drowning sailors, we all again stood for the National Anthem and The Queen, along with her entourage and Gurkha escort, left the Grand Ballroom.
Following the end of the ceremony, I was able to meet up with my family and friend again, who due to my mother’s partial disability had been seated in the front row no less and had ringside seats to the whole ceremony; to talk over the marvelous day and the once-in-a-lifetime experience we had all shared. And which was for myself and my family one of the greatest honours we’d ever received.
On return to Shanghai, my friend and elder gongfu brother Mr. Wang Ming Bo has enjoyed sharing his experience and the whole event with his families, friends and colleagues.
Being a part of British history and meeting the British Monarch is something that he said he could never have imagined; an experience he said he’d never forget his whole life.
After the ceremony the Queen’s own Gurkha escorts came especially to speak to him, as they were interested to know what another Asian was doing at the ceremony; curious to know where he was from, why he was there, what he thought of the occasion and exchange their own experiences etc.
As the Gurkha officers could only speak English and a little Cantonese, I helped translate for them into Mandarin, and it was fascinating for both myself and Mr. Wang to meet and interact with such amazing people.
For us all it was genuine intercultural exchange and a chance for peoples from different nations to gain real understanding and appreciation and make friendships that spanned the globe.
The whole day at the Palace and the honour paid to myself, my family, my friends, my colleagues and especially my colleagues at Double Dragon Alliance and Shanghai University, is something for which I will always be eternally grateful.
The occasion made my parents feel extremely proud and for me personally, it was tremendous to have been able to give my parents such happiness in their lives.
?
All in all, I will never forget this experience and am so thankful to all my friends, colleagues and Shanghai University for all their support and encouragement for my endeavours over the years and for helping me have this opportunity to receive such an honour.
As Her Majesty The Queen said, the key to real harmony in the world is understanding, and from understanding comes friendship, knowledge and appreciation for all our myriad cultures and traditions.
After receiving such encouragement and endorsement from The British head of state, The Queen of Britain, Northern Ireland and The Commonwealth, I shall continue to strive to help foster and promote intercultural friendship and understanding that embraces all cultures, helping everyone appreciate and enjoy the wonders of our multicultural world and the peoples that exist in it.