Karen shares this latest news on behalf of Wightlink. Ed
An Isle of Wight woman was among 2,000 people invited to a Service of Dedication at St Paul’s Cathedral in London to mark 100 years of the 
Order of the British Empire.
Suzanne Whitewood, of Newport, received an MBE in 2011 in recognition of her services to “The Community in the Isle of Wight” which includes Girl Guiding.
Order of the British Empire Centenary Service
Suzanne attended the Order of the British Empire Centenary Service at the Cathedral in the presence of HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Established by King George V, in 1917 to reward outstanding contributions to the war effort, the Order of the British Empire now recognises the work of people from all walks of life with well-known honours such as MBEs and OBEs, as well as Knighthoods.
HM The Queen is the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and the Duke of Edinburgh is Grand Master of the Order.
The service was conducted by the Very Reverend Dr David Ison, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, and included a mention of the Manchester bombing. Among those in attendance were almost 2,000 holders of the Order of the British Empire’s awards, from Knights and Dames to those who have received a CBE, OBE or MBE.
Suzanne, who was given free cross-Solent travel by Wightlink, says:
“I was honoured to attend and it was a great pleasure to speak with other award holders from across the UK. Thanks to Wightlink I was able to represent the Isle of Wight and also extend my visit to London and make the trip a leisurely and memorable one.”
Wightlink chief executive Keith Greenfield says:
“We were delighted to play a small part in helping Suzanne attend the event and fly the flag both for the Island and also the achievements of the many people who make such a valuable contribution to Island life.”
