‘Very humbled and honoured’: Thorney farmer Michael Sly receives MBE from Prince William Prince of Wales

Thorney farmer Michael Sly has been presented with an MBE by HRH Prince William at Windsor Castle.

The owner of Park Farm collected his gong amid an “intimate” ceremony of pomp and circumstance on March 7.

The prestigious medal was presented in recognition of the 54-year old’s services to agriculture in East Anglia, and his work around English mustard in particular.

Michael told the Peterborough Telegraph he was “very humbled and honoured” to receive such a prestigious award and that it was “incredibly special to go and receive it from the Prince of Wales.”

“It was a very special day, being with my mother and my two children,” he added. “We were all bursting with pride.”

As the chairman of English Mustard Growers, Michael has played an integral role in saving English mustard production in the UK, keeping alive the centuries-old tradition of the Fens supplying this iconic crop to Colman’s English Mustard.

In his role as the National Farmers Union (NFU) Sugar board chairman, the industrious owner of Park Farm has also helped drive major growth in the UK sugar beet sector.

The ceremony itself was, Michael notes, a “quite intimate” affair with “only 55 people” receiving medals that day.

The modest farmer said he chatted with former footballers Chris Kamara and James Milner as he waited for his audience with the prince.

Michael, who admitted he had been “nervous for days” before the ceremony, described his meeting with the Prince of Wales as “a very special moment,” with the heir to the throne putting him at ease straight away.

“Meeting Prince William was incredible,” he said. “He pointed straight to my mustard yellow and blue polka-dot tie and said, ‘Hi Michael - best we talk about mustard then?’”

Ice broken, the two men chatted amicably for several minutes.

So how does the heir to the throne feel about mustard personally?

Michael stifles a grin - “he’s as keen as mustard when it comes to eating it.”

Though he very much enjoyed the landmark occasion, Michael was keen to highlight what he believed to be the most important aspect of the day.

“I locally flew the flag for Thorney and our mustard growers.”