Prince William asks Cookstown’s Maud Kells ‘how’s your shoulder?’ as he awards OBE

Cookstown pensioner Maud Kells said she was “delighted and honoured” to receive her OBE from Prince William at Buckingham Palace last Thursday.

By Shauna Corr

Published 1st Jun 2015, 11:50 BST

The 75-year-old was put forward for the honour as a result of her work in DR Congo in Africa, but mere days after her OBE was announced Maud was shot by a bandit at her home in Mulita.

Community prays for Cookstown pensioner shot in DR Congo

“It was a great honour and a great privilege to be there,” she said.

But true to her giving nature the ‘miracle’ woman said she would like to share it with the people of Cookstown.

“The people around Cookstown should be involved in this honour as well,” she explained, “because I wouldn’t have been out in Africa if God hadn’t called me and the folks around home hadn’t supported me and financed all the work that I was doing out there.

“The honour is not only to me but to all my family and supporters.”

See what she and Prince William talked about in next week’s Mail