Gardener and ITV star Alan Titchmarsh urged a reality star not to call King Charles by a particular title, following his recent honourable promotion to CBE
Alan Titchmarsh has issued a warning about King Charles III to a television star, who is keen to receive an honourable title in the future. The-76 year-old was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2000 for services to horticulture and broadcasting.
Earlier this year, he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to horticulture and charity. Shortly after collecting his new honour from the King, he appeared alongside Made In Chelsea’s Tristan Phipps, and equestrian legend Pippa Funnell MBE on their Talk Horse podcast.
Opening the show, Tristan revealed to listeners that they were broadcasting from the “beautiful” gardens of Windsor Castle, and mentioned that “his Royal Highness” was “about 200 metres away” from them. Describing those in his presence, he went on comment: “I’ve got MBEs, CBEs. I’ve got some serious accolades here.”
He remarked to Alan: “I’m working on mine. If you could put a good word in with the big man [King Charles] next door, that would be [good].” In response, Alan playfully warned Tristan about the way he had referred to the King, his friend of over 40 years.
“Well you’ll do better if you start calling him His Majesty rather than Your Royal Highness,” he said. “His Majesty, yes, see I need extra lessons,” Tristan quipped.
Alan added: “He [Charles] has, as he used to say, ‘[Has] gone up one’.”
King Charles ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 September 2022. Once a Royal becomes a King or Queen, they are referred to as His/Her Majesty, while other members of the Royal family are addressed as His/Her Royal Highness (HRH).
Alan and Charles have shared a friendship that has lasted for more than forty years, due to their mutual passion for gardening. Over the years, Alan has commended the King for his active role in environmental conservation.
During an appearance on This Morning, he stated: “He’s a man with an enormous, enormous social conscience and also environmental conscience. But, he also put it into practice, he doesn’t just talk about it, he does it. He’s the hardest working person I know.”
Despite being a specialist in a field that Charles adores, Alan revealed that he doesn’t offer the King any gardening advice. Instead, their conversations revolve around their shared love for nature and how it could be improved.
“Anybody who knows him at all, who’s worked with him, is just in awe of his boundless energy – that’s without the issue that he’s had,” the ex Ground Force star further disclosed. “He is so energetic, he’s not just a talker, he’s a doer.”
Recounting what the monarch said to him when he received his CBE earlier this year, he added: “He very kindly said I’m climbing up the ladder, which was nice of him – from MBE to CBE.”
Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh continues today at 9.30am on ITV and ITVX
