Dr. McGreal was presented with an OBE (Order of the British Empire) at a
ceremony at Buckingham Palace on June 4 2008. Queen Elizabeth presented the
award. She spoke with Shirley and asked her about her work with primates and
about the wonderful gibbon necklace which Shirley always wears.
Two days before the Investiture there was an exciting phone call from Major
Richard Maundrell, equerry-in-waiting to the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince
Philip had requested a private meeting with Shirley.
Before the ceremony Shirley had a 20- minute meeting with the prince. They
discussed previous cases in which Prince Philip had worked with Shirley,
like the Bangkok 6 orangutans. He had written a wonderful letter to the
judge to request that the case be prosecuted fully. They also discussed
contemporary issues involving primates, including the emergence of China as
a major supplier of primates to laboratories.
The IPPL team came early to the palace. We were all given a tour of many
areas where the public does not get admitted. There were many beautiful
state rooms, full of magnificent historical portraits. For the investiture
ceremony the IPPL team had front row seats. It was spectacular to see the
Gurkha guards leading the queen in, just a few feet away from us. The queen
looks wonderful. She wore a beautiful lime green dress with no hat! Just
under 100 people were invested and the room was packed. Each person was
spoken to by the queen. There was a background of live military band music
for the ceremony.
After the investiture the IPPL team had a private meeting with Major
Maundrell and Brigadier Miles Hunt Davis who is private secretary to the
Duke of Edinburgh.
There was a photo session after the event was over.
This is a well-deserved honour. It is great to see people who have done a
lifetime of work with primates being honoured. Shirley was the only
representative from animal welfare who was honoured at this ceremony.
There was a report of the Investiture in the Times, the well-known London
newspaper.
From The London Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article4068275.ece
June 5, 2008
Court Circular: June 5
Buckingham Palace
4th June, 2008
The Queen held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace this morning.
The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown MP (Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury)
had an audience of The Queen this evening.
The Duke of Edinburgh, President Emeritus, World Wide Fund for Nature -
International, this morning received Dr. Shirley McGreal (Chairman,
International Primate Protection League).
Jean Martin
Lantzville BC