Tess Daly had a special guest at her Member of the Order of the British Empire ceremony that no one saw. The Strictly Come Dancing host was at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, where she was honoured with an MBE by King Charles III for her services to broadcasting. The TV presenter was joined by her husband of 22 years Vernon Kay and their daughter Phoebe, 21. But there was a third family member in attendance who didn’t pose for the official photos after the ceremony.
Tess’ youngest daughter Amber was there but kept a low profile throughout the day. Tess and Vernon have been married since 2003 and welcomed their first child, daughter Phoebe, in 2004, followed by Amber in 2009. Amber was spotted standing in the back of photos beside her sister and their dad while Tess, who looked regal in red, was presented with her medal by the monarch. The 16-year-old looked lovely wearing a white dress paired with a fascinator. The family later shared photos from the ceremony to celebrate the honour; however, Amber was absent.
© Alamy Live News.While Amber tends to keep out of the spotlight, her sister Phoebe regularly posts to social media and has amassed more than 16,300 followers on Instagram. The 21-year-old also appears on her mum’s social media more often; however Amber made a rare appearance on Tess’ Instagram in May to celebrate her sweet 16th. After the royal outing, Phoebe gushed about how “proud” she was of her mum on social media. The 21-year-old stunned in a white lace dress with a netted veil across her face for the occasion. She shared photos to her Instagram grid of her and her mum standing in front of the castle and a cute video of them posing in the bathroom mirror.
While her younger sister wasn’t in any of the photos, Phoebe confirmed she was indeed there, cheering on their mum with the rest of the family. “I’m so grateful to have been there today with Dad and Amber to watch you receive your medal from His Majesty the King, an emotional and monumental moment I will remember forever. Proud of you always,” she wrote. The 21-year-old said her mum was “such an inspiration in my life and I admire everything you do, because you do it all with such kindness, warmth and love.”
In her own social media post, which Amber was again not in, Tess said the award was a “privilege beyond words and without doubt the greatest honour of my career for which I am profoundly and eternally grateful.” Tess opened up to HELLO! in an exclusive interview in 2024 about how she keeps her daughters safe online. “They were never allowed phones in their bedrooms until they were 15, and we have a cut-off time for the youngest, Amber, at 10pm because she’s got school the next day. We’re vigilant about that. And, like most parents I know, there are no phones at meal times,” she said. “We’ve always limited screen time but it becomes increasingly challenging when your child socialises online a lot.”
“My daughter wasn’t allowed Snapchat until she was 13; if she didn’t have it, she literally would not be able to communicate with her peers because that’s how they arrange their social plans. Phoebe, our eldest, was private on Instagram until she was 17 or 18. We believe children should be young adults before they become public on social media. Because before that they’re still kids.”
Tess’ MBE honour amid final ‘Strictly’ season
Tess received her MBE at Windsor Castle amid her final season hosting Strictly Come Dancing after 21 years on the show. Tess dedicated her MBE honour to her loved ones. “It’s for my family as much as it is for myself. If I could dedicate it to anyone, I would dedicate it to my late dad because he’d be so proud of his daughter meeting the King, in a castle.” The Strictly host was honoured at Windsor Castle alongside former EastEnders star Anita Dobson, who was made an OBE for her services to charitable fundraising and philanthropy. Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin received a King’s Police Medal and shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly received a knighthood.
Speaking to HELLO! in 2019, Tess revealed Charles and Camilla both watched Strictly Come Dancing. “Camilla is a fan, she has been to visit us in the studio before and she spent half a day with us and it was wonderful, she was absolutely part of the whole process during the dress rehearsals, at the judge’s desk, handling the panels and she really enjoyed her day,” the presenter said at the time. “She’s such a lovely lady and she actually invited all of our crew to Buckingham Palace two years ago and we filmed part of our routine there for Christmas.”
