A WORCESTER-born businessman who now lives in America has been made an OBE for his services to the British Armed Forces.

Christopher Schultheiss was presented with his award at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace by Prince Charles.

Born in Lilac Cottage, School Walk, Whittington, Mr Schultheiss today lives in Florida and is chief executive officer and founder of SuperLetter. Com Inc which provides “hybrid mail” to and from British Armed Forces serving personnel, their family and friends.

His wife Sandra Elliott-Schultheiss is company finance director.

More than 10 million letters have been sent and received since January 2000 when the service started.

British service personnel in two dozen locations around the globe are able to use the online ebluey system to send and receive letters that are delivered as secure and private sealed letters containing personal correspondence and photographs.

Most recently Super Letter.Com Inc was awarded a 10-year contract to continue the service.

“Being made an OBE was like a dream for me,” said Mr Schultheiss. “I promise you that anybody who remembers me as a child would never have expected this wee lad from Whittington to be standing in Buckingham Palace receiving such an award.

“But as I stood before Prince Charles all I could do was think that the team that I am so fortunate to work with should be standing beside me. Prince Charles was very gracious and I was virtually speechless and he probably wondered what was wrong with me.

“I have been driven all my life and became a serial entrepreneur but of all my endeavours nothing has brought as much personal satisfaction as the development of ebluey.”

Before his visit to Buckingham Palace, Mr Schultheiss, aged 64, was last in the UK two years ago for a family reunion at Whittington. “It was very moving,” he said. “Walking the grounds of the church while my cousins explained the history of the area and my family made me feel that I really had come home.”