What an honour: Chia receiving the Queen’s Young Leaders Award from Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. — Photo courtesy of British Ceremonial Arts Ltd
PETALING JAYA: Environmentalist Chia Wen Shin will always remember the moment when she met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in England.
Chia, 31, was a Queen’s Young Leaders award recipient in 2018 and said it was a great honour to meet the queen.
“It was an incredible and surreal experience, definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said.
What surprised her most was the manner of the queen, who she described as a soft-spoken person with a great smile.
“She looked kind and had a very gentle voice. She asked about my project and the work that I was doing when she handed me the award.
“Surprisingly, she remembered my project and recognised me from the video that was played in the ceremony.
“It showed that she truly cared about the work that we do,” she said. “Her death has hit me. I am deeply saddened and shocked.”
Chia is the founder of Green Yards, an eco-products company that makes soaps and candles from recycled cooking oil.
Chia started Green Yards as a university project and received the Queen’s Young Leaders award for her efforts to protect the environment.
