Steve Davis had the fortune of being awarded both an MBE and OBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II, experiencing both the monarch’s support and wit at two very different points in his career
Snooker icon Steve Davis was once left shocked by Queen Elizabeth II’s comment which revealed she was a fan of both him and the sport. Davis, from south London, rose to prominence in the late 1970s and dominated snooker throughout the eighties.
He won six World Championships and reached eight finals before retiring in 2016 aged 58. As a household name for over 40 years, Davis’ reputation extended far and wide, even reaching the late Queen, who passed away in September 2022.
In a story he shared back in November 2022 at an event in Leamington Spa, Davis recalled the time he received his MBE in 1989. He revealed to the crowd how the monarch surprised him by asking, “Did you win the final?”, which showed she had been closely following his career.
The 67-year-old said: “You get put in this room, a posh guy comes in, he goes all the knighthoods at the front, form a queue, then the CBEs and the OBEs then all the crud at the back. When it is your turn, you are going to turn, and then bow, the Queen is going to be in front of you.
“I had just won the Rothmans Grand Prix on Sunday. I beat Dean Reynolds in the final 10-0. I was the best thing in the game. I was beating everybody for fun at that time and the Queen confirmed I was the best.”
Davis then recounted his meeting with the Queen, adding: “It was my turn. I go like this, I turn, I bow, I take two steps forward, she pins on my MBE and as we are shaking hands she speaks to me.
“She says, ‘We had to go out of the country over the weekend. Did you win the final?’ I thought, ‘The Queen watches snooker!’ I went, ‘Yes ma’am,’ and she went, ‘Well done!'”
Brimming with pride, Davis rushed down to his local social club to share the news and give himself a congratulatory pat on the back.
“So I am off down to my local social club in Plumstead to tell everybody the Queen watches snooker and she thinks I am the best thing in the game. Fantastic,” he said.
A few years on, Davis was awarded an OBE and met Her Majesty once again. He explained: “Five years later I get awarded the OBE.
“It is like an upgrade, you get further up the queue. That is the only difference I could see, but this time I was no longer the best thing in the game. Stephen Hendry had come along and taken all my ranking points, all my prize money, all my sweets.”
The snooker icon was then reminded of his diminishing abilities by being asked the question every sports star dreads. Davis, while chuckling, continued: “Well, the Queen confirmed I was no longer the best thing in the game. It is my turn.
“I took two steps forward, she pinned on my OBE and as we were shaking hands, once again she spoke to me. She said, ‘Tell me, do you still play?’ and that effectively was the end of my career!”
