Countdown favourite was awarded an MBE in the latest honours but admitted she made a little protocol mistake in front of III.
Attending the ceremony on Tuesday, July 11, the 37-year-old was awarded an MBE for .
She has been raising awareness of , particularly online on platforms like Twitter.
Rachel posed proudly with her medal at the grounds with her husband Pasha Kovalev, as she beamed from ear to ear.
She looked elegant in a smart baby pink dress, along with a matching hat and heels as she was awarded with the likes of Sir Alok Sharma and David Harewood.
Despite looking the part, Rachel admitted her nerves got the better of her and she ‘couldn’t remember the protocol’.
‘It was a really special and surreal day!’ she told in a new interview.
‘Pasha and my parents came with me so we all set off together for Windsor Castle not knowing who would be doing the investiture, but it was a privilege to be awarded it by the King.’
Although she had a delightful time, evident by the smile on her face in all the pictures, not everything went smoothly.
Rachel continued: ‘I think my nerves made me rabbit on when King Charles asked interested questions on why I’d received it and my experiences.
‘He said he’s intent on doing more to tackle hate crimes of all descriptions and he gave encouragement for continuing this work.
‘When it was time to shake his hand I couldn’t remember the protocol of when to courtesy and how to leave so I curtseyed and ran!’
Protocol aside, the maths whiz added that everyone at Windsor Castle ‘made you feel special’.
While she may have the royal seal of approval, Rachel isn’t above a few cheeky jokes as that she puts ‘horrendously’ rude words on the board.
‘He’s used to broadcasting so I could have a rude word just to put him off,’ she laughed.
‘I know it’s not going to make the edit, I’m just trying to put him off and he’s trying to keep a straight face. I’m putting something horrendous up on the board just for my own amusement really.’
