King Charles III Condemns Post Office Scandal as Victim Betty Brown Receives OBE
King Charles III reportedly called the Post Office scandal a "dreadful thing" that "should never have happened," according to Betty Brown, the 93-year-old who is the oldest surviving victim. Brown received her OBE at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, where she requested His Majesty intervene to ensure those accountable for the wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters face police investigation and justice.
Brown, appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to justice, dedicated her honour to "all the sub postmasters that we have lost." She highlighted the enduring pain caused by the scandal, which saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft and false accounting between 1999 and 2015 due to the faulty Horizon IT system.
Forced out of her County Durham Post Office in 2003, Brown and her late husband Oswall had paid over £50,000 of their savings to cover non-existent shortfalls. She informed the King that "justice has no cost" and must be pursued regardless of expense.
This appeal comes as police chiefs warn the criminal investigation into the Post Office scandal could face a five-year delay without additional funding. Commander Stephen Clayman, leading the national inquiry, indicated the investigation team would need to double to meet its target of submitting prosecution files by late next year or early 2028. A government spokesperson acknowledged the "appalling injustice" and confirmed that requests for further funding are under consideration.
Brown expressed gratitude for finally being "heard by the system," noting that many falsely believe victims have received compensation, when in fact, they have only received "redress" — the return of money illegally taken from them. More than £1.5 billion has been disbursed to over 12,300 claimants across various Post Office redress schemes to date.
