Hats are de rigueur when the Queen is awarding honours but this must be the first time she has been faced by a recipient sporting a pen.

William Lloyd Williams collected his MBE for services to the meat industry with a biro tucked neatly behind his ear at Buckingham Palace yesterday.

The popular butcher is known as something of a character in his home town of Machynlleth in Powys and is known for always having a pen ready to take an order - even after shop hours.

When the news spread that he had been nominated for the honour, he said his customers’ first question was whether he would still have the trademark biro behind his ear.

Royle Family star Sue Johnston, who was collecting an OBE, spotted the unusual addition to his outfit while they mingled before the ceremony.

He said: “She said to me ’Excuse me but do you know you’ve got a biro behind your ear?’ and I said, ’Yes, I’m a butcher and I thought the Queen might want a turkey for Christmas and I might have to take an order.’

“She liked that, she thought it was hilarious.”

He explained that he did ask the Palace’s permission before bringing along his pen as he did not want to cause offence.

He said: “I didn’t want to be over-the-top or anything so I rang the palace and said, ’I always have a pen behind my ear, do you think it would be a problem’, and they said that if I thought it was part of my personality then it would be OK.”

“When I got through the gates my wife said to me, ’Wil, take the pen off’ so I did but while I was queuing up to go into the hall I put it back on again.

“The Queen did look and she smiled.

“I was accepting this award on behalf of the old fashioned butcher and as far as I’m concerned the pen is the symbol of your independent local butcher.

“They are closing every week, it is important to keep this rural local service going. It doesn’t matter where you live, support your local butcher this Christmas.”

He runs a small abattoir and butcher’s shop in Machynlleth and is an enthusiastic campaigner for local producers.

His website states that he is proud to sell meat from local farms, the furthest no more than 20 miles away, and he publishes a weekly list of the farmers he buys from complete with contact details.

Mr Williams, who took over the business founded in 1959 by his grandfather, has won a string of awards for his meat.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Postmen: We bind the nation together
• Tewkesbury: when the memories flood back
• Cast Offs actress: I’m happy that my face fits