Dorchester Olympic shooting star Peter Wilson receives MBE from the Queen (From Dorset Echo)

Dorchester Olympic shooting star Peter Wilson receives MBE from the Queen

5:10pm Wednesday 20th February 2013 in News By Catherine Bolado

A DORCHESTER shooting star said it felt ‘unbelievable’ to receive an MBE.

Olympic gold medallist Peter Wilson travelled to Buckingham Palace with his family to receive his honour from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.

Dorchester-born Peter won the gold medal in the London 2012 Olympic Games in the men’s double trap shooting event.

He posed for pictures with the MBE, which he received for services to shooting, with his mum and dad Fiona and Charles and girlfriend Michelle, and was literally jumping for joy.

Watch the video of Peter winning his gold here

Peter counts his home range as at Southern Counties Shooting at Evershot, near Dorchester.

Peter, 26, said: “It is unbelievable.

“I haven’t quite got my head round it.

“I never thought it would happen to me.

“It’s amazing.”

He added: “It was great fun.

“It was a real privilege.”

Yesterday morning the group headed to the Palace, with Peter in a morning suit.

He joked: “It was the first time I’d been that smart.”

After going through security he was given a briefing along with the others who were receiving their investitures.

They went through in groups of ten to receive their MBEs and Peter found himself waiting with his friend and Olympic gold-medal-winning boxer Anthony Joshua.

He said it was nerve-wrecking waiting to be called and joked that they thought they must have got the wrong day.

He said: “It was really exciting.

“It was nerve-wrecking but really good nerves.”

Prince Charles presented Peter with his MBE and pinned it onto his coat.

He said Prince Charles said ‘congratulations’ on his Olympic gold.

Peter said: “I said thank you and we had a chat, it was very nice.”

The whole ceremony was ‘very nice’ and ‘very relaxed.’ Afterwards the family were treated to tea and cake by Fortnum and Mason.

Describing himself as a ‘Dorset boy through-and-through’ Peter said that to be an Olympic gold medallist and now a Member of the British Empire was ‘immense.’ He said: “I feel very lucky.”

He added: “I never thought in a million years I’d be receiving an MBE from Prince Charles.”

He said the Olympics had been a life-changing journey and that he was so glad he had dedicated the last six years of his life to it.

Peter has confirmed that he will be bidding to retain his Olympic title in Rio in 2016.