Speaking to the PA news agency after collecting her MBE, Mel was asked about her conversation with the Duke of Cambridge.
“He commended me on all my work that I’ve been doing, and he goes, ‘I’m so sorry you went through such a horrible time’,” she said.“He did say, ‘I can’t believe I’m giving you one of these – I’m delighted’, and I said, ‘Aw thank you’ and we had a giggle.”Mel also said she was dedicating her MBE to “all the other women” who are dealing with domestic violence.“I never thought I would be here getting this MBE for the work I’ve been doing,” she said.
“Especially because of Covid, there’s been such an epidemic of domestic violence, that’s been completely on the rise, and you know I’ve got an army of women behind me that need help and need to be heard. “So I’m their voice because we’ve all been through exactly the same story, so I don’t take it as it’s my award because it’s our award because we’ve survived.”
Mel split from husband Stephen Belafonte in 2017 after 10 years of marriage. The singer claimed he had been emotionally and physically abusive during that time.and has terrible flashbacks that leave her drenched in “shame, sweat and fear”.If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact: