Creator of shoes worn by the Queen among innovators honoured at awards reception

Belfast Telegraph

21 hours ago

The King welcomed recipients of The King's Awards for Enterprise at Windsor Castle on Thursday, and chatted to the entrepreneurs and innovators whose practices and products have earned them the prestigious recognition.
Among the award winners was Lisa Kay, the creator and chief executive of Sole Bliss, whose products Camilla has frequently been seen wearing at public events, and is said to love for their stylish yet comfortable design.
Ms Kay, whose business won an award in the international trade category, shook hands with Charles at the reception, and the pair exchanged a few words.
She said: 'I (told the King) that Her Royal Highness has purchased our shoes, so hopefully she finds them comfortable.
'He said, 'She like a heel that's not too narrow', so I said 'Yes, a block heel, I understand', he said: 'Yes, a block heel!'
'He said it gets harder to wear heels as you get older, and I said 'I understand'.'
Sole Bliss was launched as a 'very small' business in 2017, Ms Kay said.
Its popularity soared after Camilla was spotted wearing a pair of Sole Bliss shoes at the 2018 Royal Cornwall Show.
'A year after we launched, that was amazing,' Ms Kay said.
She added: 'Women generally just need comfort, so you're not thinking about your feet, you're thinking about where you are, what you're doing…
'It's for every job really – but especially royalty.'
Julia Roberts, Dame Helen Mirren, and Olivia Colman are among the celebrities who were also seen wearing Sole Bliss at public events.
Asked how she felt about receiving the King's Award for Enterprise, Ms Kay said: 'It just means the world.
'It's so exciting, you can see I'm very overwhelmed,' she added, laughing and fanning her face with her hand.
Ms Kay was also praised by Dame Annabel Whitehead, a courtier and former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth II, who walked up to her during the reception and said: 'We all love you here.'
Also at the event were the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle.
The awards recognise outstanding achievements by UK firms in the categories of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
They are the most prestigious business awards in the UK, with recipients recognised as being among the best of British businesses.
Some 197 businesses received awards across the four categories and can now use The King's Awards emblem for the next five years on their products and to promote their services.
The viral cuddly toys company Jellycat was also among the winners, with production director Jack Gatacre describing the reward as 'a great honour'.
'We're very happy that people do love our brand,' Mr Gatacre added.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were gifted two Jellycat plushies during a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace last month.
Seeing the toys, which were in the shapes of a pickled onion and a lemon tart, William said: 'These are like gold dust. My children go crazy for these things. This is a children's currency.'
Asked how he felt knowing that George, Louis, and Charlotte love Jellycat plushies, Mr Gatacre said: 'It delights me, it delights everybody at Jellycat that we can make people happy across the world.'
Previously known as The Queen's Award for Enterprise, this is the 59th year of the Awards and the third year recipients received a King's Awards for Enterprise following the scheme's name change.