'Thrilled' Colonel Tom reveals what he'll say to monarch

Colonel Tom has revealed he will say ‘thank you very much’ to the Queen when he receives his knighthood after raising a remarkable £39million for NHS charities.

Tom Moore, a centenarian from Bedfordshire who has already been promoted from captain, is to be recognised further with a knighthood, it was revealed last night.

The Second World War veteran received a special nomination from the Prime Minister, which is to become the first of dozens of coronavirus crisis gongs.

Boris Johnson described him as a national treasure and said he had provided a ‘beacon of light’ through the Covid-19 crisis.

Discussing the news on Good Morning Britain today, Colonel Tom explained he is ‘thrilled that Her Majesty has chosen poor little me [to] be knighted.’

Colonel Tom (pictured) has revealed he will say ‘thank you very much’ to the Queen when he receives his knighthood after raising a remarkable £39million for NHS charities

Speaking on Good Morning Britain today (pictured with his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore), Colonel Tom explained he is ‘thrilled that Her Majesty has chosen poor little me [to] be knighted’

‘It really is a great honour and something I never ever anticipated,’ he said. ‘If the Queen is so gracious to bestow this honour on me, I’m totally thrilled by it. It never, ever entered my head that something like that could happen to me.’

His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore joked the family has been ‘practising their curtsies’ since hearing the news, as the war veteran teased his conversation with the Queen ‘would have to be kept secret.’

‘The discussion between me and the Queen would have to be kept secret, I’ll say thank you very much Queen,’ he said.

In a final message to the nation, Colonel Tom told those watching that things will get better once this coronavirus crisis has passed, ‘as they always do.’

‘I think you go back to the song after the storm there will be a golden sky, you’ve got to look forward to the fact that things will improve as they always do,’ he said.

‘We will hear the larks singing again beautifully, that’s what we must truly believe because it will happen.’

Colonel Tom pictured during the war. Boris Johnson described him as a national treasure and said he had provided a ‘beacon of light’ through the Covid-19 crisis

Colonel Tom has raised a remarkable £32.8million for NHS charities by walking more than 100 laps of his garden on his wheeled frame before his 100th birthday last month. The figure went up to £39million with Gift Aid.

His honour, which has been approved by the Queen, will formally be announced today. Last night Colonel Tom said: ‘I am absolutely overwhelmed.

‘Never for one moment could I have imagined to be awarded with such a great honour. I’d like to thank Her Majesty the Queen, the Prime Minister and the great British public. I will remain at your service. This started as something small and I’ve been overwhelmed by the gratitude and love from the British public and beyond.

‘We must take this opportunity to recognise our frontline heroes of the National Health Service who put their lives at risk everyday to keep us safe.’

The Government says other ‘unsung heroes’ who have been fighting coronavirus will also be honoured in the coming months.

A special honours list is to be released in the autumn to recognise all those who have distinguished themselves during the crisis, according to The Sun.

Colonel Tom, who lives with his younger daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore (both pictured), her husband and their two children in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, began his JustGiving page with the aim of raising £1,000 for NHS workers by walking 100 laps of the family’s garden before his 100th birthday

A Spitfire and Hurricane soared over his home in a flypast organised by the RAF, while a sea of birthday cards – 140,000 sent from all over the world, some with gifts – went on display at his grandson Benjie’s school in Bedford (pictured)

Captain Tom Moore is pictured on his wedding day with wife Pamela, her mother Katie and his father Wilfred, 1968

The Prime Minister recommended Sir Tom be exceptionally honoured for his fundraising achievements, No 10 said.

Mr Johnson said: ‘Colonel Tom’s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus.

‘On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge thank you. He’s a true national treasure.’

Further plans on how frontline heroes will be honoured will be set out in the coming months, an official statement said.

Details will be given on ‘how the public will be able to play their part’.

A Government spokesman said: ‘We know there is huge appetite to say thank you to all those supporting the nation during this emergency and doing incredible things day in, day out, up and down the country.

Tom Moore, with (left to right) grandson Benji, daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and granddaughter Georgia, at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire

Second World War veteran and NHS fundraiser Tom Moore is to be knighted, Downing Street has announced

‘We will ensure these unsung heroes are recognised in the right way, at the right time.’

Colonel Tom, who lives with his younger daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore, her husband and their two children in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, began his JustGiving page with the aim of raising £1,000 for NHS workers by walking 100 laps of the family’s garden before his 100th birthday.

Yesterday the sum raised for NHS Charities Together stood at nearly £33million.

His 100th birthday on April 30 was marked with several accolades. The former soldier in 145th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps was made an honorary colonel by the Queen and an honorary member of the England cricket team.

He was also awarded the Freedom of the City of London.

Colonel Tom, whose wife Pamela died in 2006 after 38 years of marriage, also released a charity single, You’ll Never Walk Alone, with singer Michael Ball. It quickly topped the charts, making him the oldest artist ever to have a UK No 1.

From Yorkshire to India: Colonel Tom Moore’s career in the military

Captain Tom Moore was conscripted into the British Army in June 1940 when he was 20, alongside all men aged 20 to 35.

He began his military career in Otley, West Yorkshire, where he joined the 8th Battalion, the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment under Lieutenant Lord George Saville.

The Regiment was sent to train in Wadebridge, Cornwall where they were tasked with coastal defence amid a predicted German invasion.

A young Captain Moore was soon promoted to Corporal and sent to the officer cadet training unit in Droitwich Spa.

Here, he celebrated his 21st birthday after he passed as a Second Lieutenant.

In August 1941, he was sent to the DWR headquarters in Halifax where he joined the 9th Battalion at Winchcombe.

The infantry battalion then converted to an armoured regiment 146th Royal Armoured Corp, though the majority of the soldiers could not drive.

In October, the unit was posted to Bombay, now Mumbai, in India. The journey took six weeks by sea, with a four-day delay in Freetown, Sierra Leone and a four-day stop in Cape Town.

Captain Moore then took a train from Bombay to Poona, before arriving at Kirkee, a town now known as Khadki.

The 9th DWR formed the 50th Indian Tank Brigade under the command of Brigadier Schreiber.

Captain Moore was then asked by the Brigadier to start a motorcycling course for the Brigade due to his expertise for the sport.

The Brigade was then ordered to move to Calcutta – the road journey was in a monsoon and took three weeks.

His Battalion was stationed in the Lohardaga district near Ranchi.

They then took part in two exercises in the Arakan before moving further east and south to Rangoon.

Captain Moore was then sent on a course at the approved vehicle depot in Bovington, England.

He remained here as an instructor until it was closed.

Prince William sends a ‘huge message of thanks’ to frontline workers from ‘myself and Catherine’ in new clip and says he knows ‘all too well’ from his time with the air ambulance it’s ‘easy to forget your own needs too’

Prince William has sent a message of support to NHS workers on the frontline
The royal reminded them ‘not to forget their own needs as they care for others’
William, 37, is seen at his home office in Amner Hall, Norfolk, where he is isolating with Kate, 38, and their children
William reminisced over his time working for the air ambulance until 2017, and admitted that he ‘knows frontline workers are keen to put on a brave face’
Our Frontline is a new charity initiative providing around-the-clock mental health, a partnership between Shout, Samaritans, Mind Hospice UK and The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Prince William has sent a message of support to NHS workers on the frontline, reminding them ‘not to forget their own needs as they care for others’.

Shared to Our Frontline UK charity’s Twitter page, William, 37, is seen at his home office in Amner Hall, Norfolk, where he is isolating with Kate, 38, and their children Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1.

Sharing his message of thanks from ‘Catherine and I’, William reminisced over his time working for the air ambulance service until 2017, and admitted that he ‘knows all too well that frontline workers are keen to put on a brave face’.

Our Frontline is a new charity intiative providing around-the-clock mental health, a partnership between Shout, Samaritans, Mind Hospice UK and The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Prince William has sent a message of support to NHS workers on the frontline, reminding them ‘not to forget their own needs as they care for others’

Wearing his favouried outfit of a bright blue jumper and pale blue shirt, William said: ‘I wanted to say a huge thank you from myself and Catherine for all that you are doing to keep everyone safe.

‘You and your families are making huge sacrifices, and we want you to know that the whole country is enormously proud of you.

‘The challenges you are facing day in and day out are unprecedented. Even in normal circumstances, front line work can take its toll, not just on your physical health, but also on your mental wellbeing.

‘From my time at the air ambulance, I know all to well how determined frontline workers to put a brave face on and keep going.

‘When you spend all day taking care of others, it is easy to forget that you need to take care of yourself too, but it’s okay to say when you’re not feeling okay, and there is support available to you – if and when you need it.

‘Our frontline is a new initiative, which provides around the clock mental health support to frontline staff and key workers, in these unprecedented times’.

Prince William worked as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance for 18 months between 2015 and 2017, before stepping down to take on more Royal roles on behalf of the Queen.

Last month, William became the patron of the London Air Ambulance Charity, which was established in 1989, and provides rapid emergency care in the capital.

As patron, the Duke of Cambridge is set to champion the important work carried out by the group across the capital.

Prince William worked as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance for 18 months between 2015 and 2017, before stepping down to take on more Royal roles on behalf of the Queen.

The Cambridge family are self isolating at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, having left their Kensington Palace home amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Prince William, 37, Kate Middleton, 38, Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, are bunking down at the spacious royal residence, and the Cambridge children are said to be enjoying roaming the acres of land.

William and Kate, whose main residence is Kensington Palace, have been sharing glimpses at their offices in their 10-bedroom country mansion, announcing in March that they were launching a £5million scheme to support the nation’s mental health at a time of high anxiety during the lockdown.