Young entrepreneur Zoe Jackson has made the first of her two visits to Buckingham Palace.
The St Albans-based director of the Living the Dream School of Performing Arts was one of the first ever recipients of a Queen’s Young Leaders Award and received the accolade from the monarch at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Monday.
She is likely to be back there later this year after last week’s announcement that she had received an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Monday morning found her at 10 Downing Street for a breakfast event with the Prime Minister and after a trip to Twitter HQ and the BBC, she went to Buckingham Palace to receive the Young Leaders Award which celebrates the achievements of young people who are taking the lead to transform the lives of others and make a lasting difference in the communities.
That was followed by a formal dinner at St James Palace with the Duke of York which was attended by other members of the royal family and celebrities including David Beckham, David Walliams, John Bishop and Duncan Bannatyne.
A delighted Zoe said she had been extremely proud to receive her award from the Queen and went on: “The awards were presented to young people from all backgrounds, from all walks of life and from all Commonwealth countries. They will recognise and celebrate our achievements, and support us to reach our potential and create real change in our lives and in the lives of those around us.”
She added: “I was lucky enough to meet fellow Queen’s Young Leaders, royalty and a host of celebrities; the whole day was completely surreal but one which I will never forget.”
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