A mother has spoken of her joy after receiving her MBE from Prince William.

Linda Crawley, of Shepherds Way, Rickmansworth, was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her services to education.

But the 67-year-old travelled to Windsor Castle yesterday and the Duke of Cambridge presented her with her medal at an investiture ceremony.

Mrs Crawley believes helping sett up Alban City School in St Albans – of which she is now chair of governors - was a major factor in her receiving the award.

She said: “It was such a wonderful day. I have never been so nervous in my life but everyone there was so nice and reassuring.

“It has been so much hard work, with things like drawing up the curriculum proposals, and working out the financial plans for up until 2018, which is very difficult when you are hiring staff.

“When I was thinking about how much work had gone in, I was shocked.”

When the nomination letter first arrived, the mother-of-two feared what the letter would say.

“I thought it was a really big parking ticket”, she said.

“I was at home on my own at the time. My husband and children were at work. I just wanted to tell someone because it was very exciting, but you are not allowed to tell everyone.”

Mrs Crawley helped set up Alban City School to combat a shortfall of school places in St Albans –despite retiring six years ago.

The proposals for the free school were agreed by the Department for Education in October 2011 and the school opened in September 2012 with two reception classes.

In its first Ofsted inspection, the school was rated as “Good” and school leaders were praised for establishing a “strong ethos and drive for improvement”.