Gemma Collins reveals ambition to become a dame as she recalls charming King Charles and Queen Camilla

Gemma Collins opened up about her ambitions of becoming a Dame, while recalling her charming encounter with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The TV legend, 44, admitted it would be the ‘best thing that could ever happen’ while opening up amid her new Ladies’ Day Ascot campaign with Paddy Power.

‘Of course I’d love it to be made a Dame, but I don’t think it’s going to happen just yet,’ she told, according to The Sun.

‘One day that is the dream. It would just be the best thing that could ever happen.’

The former TOWIE star previously met King and the Queen Consort in 2023 at The Animal Ball, and was sought again after that time.

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Gemma Collins, 44, opened up about her ambitions of becoming a Dame, while recalling her charming encounter with King Charles and Queen Camilla

The former TOWIE star previously met King and the Queen Consort in 2023 at The Animal Ball, and was sought again after that time (King Charles and Queen Camilla earlier this month during Trooping The Colour)

‘I love the royals. King Charles requested for me to meet him back in 2023. Clarence House called me because they wanted to get in touch with a British icon who is the mood of the nation.

‘I dressed in Valentino and went to Lancaster House, in London. Charles was great fun, and very funny, I called him King of the Planet because I really admire him for all the work he does for the animals.’

The screen favourite described the King as ‘very down to earth’ while the Queen was ‘lovely’.  

Gemma revealed to be thrilled to be working with betting giant Paddy Power ahead of Royal Ascot’s Ladies Day next Thursday – which she dubbed as ‘fun’ and ‘such a vibe’.

The fruitful collaboration – where she is joined by Peter Crouch as fellow ambassador – comes just after Gemma was coveted guest of honour at Cheltenham Races in March.

After people were surprised to see her at the races, the reality star stressed ‘women should be able to go to these horse races too’.

Although she defined horse-racing ‘blokey’, she boldly claimed she is there to ‘shut that down’, remarking: ‘Women rule the world’.

Her brand-new project comes shortly after Gemma confessed she felt like ‘dying’ amid her devastating battle with pneumonia in a latest health update.  

Amid her new Ladies’ Day Ascot campaign with Paddy Power, she said: ‘Of course I’d love it to be made a Dame, but I don’t think it’s going to happen just yet. One day that is the dream. It would just be the best thing that could ever happen’ (pictured in May)

‘I love the royals. King Charles requested for me to meet him back in 2023. Clarence House called me because they wanted to get in touch with a British icon who is the mood of the nation,’ she told according to The Sun

The fruitful collaboration – where she is joined by Peter Crouch as fellow ambassador – comes just after Gemma was coveted guest of honour at Cheltenham Races in March (pictured on day 3 at Cheltenham Festival)

Although she defined horse-racing ‘blokey’, she boldly claimed she is there to ‘shut that down’, remarking: ‘Women rule the world’

Her brand-new project comes shortly after Gemma confessed she felt like ‘dying’ amid her devastating battle with pneumonia in a latest health update

She revealed earlier this week that she’d battling the condition for almost a month, before taking to her Instagram Stories on Friday showing herself undergoing X-rays at her Essex home.

Gemma explained that her condition had been leaving her breathless ‘really quickly’ but due to medics diagnosing it as viral, antibiotics would be ineffective. 

She told The Mirror: ‘It’s shocking, I’ve had it now for over three weeks and I had steroids given to me by my doctor. It was DJ Fat Tony’s wedding and I had to take them to get through that,’ 

‘But I’m off them now and the sickness is really kicking back in. It’s so frustrating because I normally have so much energy and I’m always loving life, but now I get really breathless really quickly and I feel like I’m dying.’

Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection. Most people get better in two to four weeks, but babies, older people, and people with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill and may need treatment in hospital. 

Taking to her Stories Gemma shared snaps as she underwent X-rays while praising medical staff for their care.

She wrote: ‘Thank you to all the amazing doctors helping me your real life angels’.