Darts world champion Deta Hedman said she was feeling “marvellous” and “overwhelmed” after receiving her OBE.
The 66-year-old from Witham, Essex, defeated top seed Lerena Rietbergen 4-1 to claim the 2025 WDF Women’s World Championship title in December after a career spanning five decades.
It set up a very special appointment on Thursday where Ms Hedman, nicknamed the Caribbean Queen, collected her OBE from the Princess Royal at a ceremony at St James’s Palace.
After receiving her honour for her services to darts and charity, Ms Hedman said: “I am still overwhelmed. After all this time since I knew about it, the honour, it still has not …
Darts world champion Deta Hedman said she was feeling “marvellous” and “overwhelmed” after receiving her OBE.
The 66-year-old from Witham, Essex, defeated top seed Lerena Rietbergen 4-1 to claim the 2025 WDF Women’s World Championship title in December after a career spanning five decades.
It set up a very special appointment on Thursday where Ms Hedman, nicknamed the Caribbean Queen, collected her OBE from the Princess Royal at a ceremony at St James’s Palace.
After receiving her honour for her services to darts and charity, Ms Hedman said: “I am still overwhelmed. After all this time since I knew about it, the honour, it still has not sunk in.”
She added: “I am absolutely over the moon, especially to have met one of the royals who is a sportswoman herself.”
And of her world title victory, she said: “I have been trying for 15 years and four finals and finally won the world championship.”
Ms Dedman was born in St Thomas, Jamaica, and moved to St Mary before coming to the UK 53 years ago.
The World Darts Federation (WDF) said Ms Hedman was nicknamed “The Heart of Darts” for her charity work in helping disabled children.
She has also been a long-term ambassador for the England youth teams.
Ms Hedman won her first WDF ranking title at the Finnish Open in 1989.
She is also a five-time World Masters finalist, winning the event in 1994 and 2013.
In WDF Cups, Ms Hedman has won the Europe Cup and World Cup Singles both once, as well as top honours in the Pairs on eight occasions with five different partners.