Palace nerves for boxer Carl Frampton MBE

The unified world super bantamweight champion, nicknamed the Jackal, was presented with the award for services to boxing during the Buckingham Palace ceremony.

He said: “I was very very nervous. I am not usually that nervous.

“I like to think I am pretty cool in high-pressured situations, but I haven’t felt nerves like that since my wedding day.

“I was worried about saying something wrong or stupid.”

Asked how his wife Christine would react, he said: “She might laugh - I hope she laughs anyway and doesn’t take it the wrong way.”

Frampton made his professional debut in 2009 and is yet to be beaten in 22 fights, winning 14 of them by knock-out.

The 29-year-old was joined by his mother Flo, father Craig and amateur boxing coach Billy McKee at the ceremony.

Asked what he chatted about with the duke, he said: “He was very, very nice. We talked about boxing - he knew I’ve been doing it for such a long time, and that I’d had a fight recently.”

The fighter from Belfast beat fellow Brit Scott Quigg on points at Manchester Arena in February to add the WBA belt to his IBF super bantamweight title.

He added: “It wouldn’t have been as good coming here having lost - it wouldn’t have felt like I’d earned it.”

Frampton said he wished his wife Christine could have attended the ceremony, but that she was staying in Belfast to look after their daughter, Carla, who they did not want to take out of school.