Eleanor Laing has attended an investiture at Buckingham Palace to receive her Damehood from HRH the Duke of Cambridge.

Dame Eleanor, who was made a Dame in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, has been the Member of Parliament for Epping Forest for 21 years - was a Shadow Minister for 12 years and has been a Deputy Speaker for more than four-and-a-half years. 

She was appointed a member of the Privy Council, the formal body of advisers to the Queen, last November.

Dame Eleanor said: "It was a great privilege to be invited to Buckingham Palace where Prince William performed the investiture ceremony making me a 'Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire'.

"Prince William was charming and we had a very pleasant conversation about my role as Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.

"It was really impressive and often touching to see a number of really wonderful people receiving honours for their selfless commitment to various good causes. 

"It was lovely to see how proud their families were of them.