A Walsall banker who ignored two letters from Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II has eventually collected his MBE after being convinced he really had been nominated.
Narinder Dhandwar, business relationship manager at Barclays, thought a letter he first received from the Cabinet Office in September 2020, to say that he had been nominated for an MBE, was a hoax and threw it away.
Narinder MBE meeting Prince William
Despite taking follow up telephone calls, the now 55-year-old from Chuckery continued to think someone was playing a trick on him – and he received two more letters in May 2021 and November 2021.
It was only when someone senior from Barclays UK chairman’s office contacted him to ask why he had ignored the letters did he realise that it was true: he had been nominated for an MBE for services to the business and financial sectors in the West Midlands.
In January 2022 – the last of the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List – he accepted the award. In June this year, Narinder attended the investiture at Windsor Castle, where he was presented with his MBE by Prince William, the Prince of Wales.
“I just didn’t think it was normal for people like me to get MBEs and just assumed it was a scam,” says Narinder, who has worked in banking and financial services for 32 years.
Narinder at Windsor Castle
“I work with SMEs (small and medium enterprises) businesses across the West Midlands and didn’t think I was doing anything extraordinary, but it was Barclays that nominated me after I had helped many with the Covid-19 government grants and loans.
“To say I was over the moon is an understatement, but the day itself was really exciting and I can barely put it into words.”
Narinder chatted with Prince William for about five minutes during the presentation, during which the royal teased him for having “turned down the Queen three times” and the new King once, after he had to delay his investiture in February as he was on holiday.
“He’s very down to earth,” said the father-of-two. “He noticed my West Bromwich Albion tiepin and I said I wanted to invite him to the club and he asked me to get in touch with an invitation. I’m talking to the club now, so I hope that will happen.”