Environmentalist from Chiswick presented with MBE at Windsor Castle

Image above: David Shreeve (centre right) with his family at Windsor

David Shreeve accepts honour awarded in King’s Birthday Honours List

David Shreeve, the environmentalist who lives in Chiswick, has collected the MBE awarded to him in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

As King Charles was recuperating from his hospital treatment, the Prince of Wales stepped in to present David with the award, for his services to the environment in setting up and running the Conservation Foundation, and for his role of environmental advisor to the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England.

David is the Conservation Foundation’s co-founder and Director. He established it in 1982 with the late Professor David Bellamy, TV personality, educator and environmental campaigner.

The Foundation has created and managed a large number of programmes, projects and award schemes covering a wide range of environmental issues in association with businesses, the media, prisons, trade associations and official bodies.

Over the years it collected a unique archive of environmental books and publications which was presented to the University of Kent as part of the Foundation’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

David was one of the first to be awarded an honour by the new King, as he was included in King Charles’ Birthday Honours announced last June. He was joined at the ceremony by his wife Jacqui, his daughter Alice-Louise and son Rupert.

David told the Prince how fitting it was to be given the award at Windsor, as a planting organised by him in 1980 of a disease resistant elm led to the launch of the Foundation two years later. The tree continues to thrive.

‘Great British Elms’, which David has co-written with Mark Seddon, will be published by Kew Publishing this autumn.

At the end of their discussion the Prince said how much he had appreciated David’s good wishes for the health of both the Princess of Wales and the King.