King’s Honours: MBE for Exeter museum head

The former manager of Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM), Camilla Hampshire, has been awarded an MBE for services to culture in Exeter.

Camilla spent her entire career in the culture and heritage sector, including 22 years leading Exeter City Council’s flagship cultural service. As Museum Manager and Cultural Lead, she played a central role in transforming RAMM into a multi-award-winning institution recognised locally, nationally and internationally.

She championed the museum as a space for civic engagement, storytelling and inclusion, helping it become a key part of Devon’s cultural life and a source of pride for the city.

Bindu Arjoon, Chief Executive of Exeter City Council, said: “Camilla championed the museum as an important civic space and has worked tirelessly to connect local people with their shared history and each other, promoting social cohesion and building a sense of Exeter as an excellent place to live, work and study. We are delighted that she has received this award.”

Speaking to the Exeter City Council website, Camilla said, “It was a huge surprise. It is an enormous personal honour and of course I am thrilled. 

I loved my time at RAMM, and it has been a pleasure to serve the people of Exeter and Devon, but everything achieved has only been possible because I was surrounded by a wonderful team.

I hope everyone will also see this as recognition for RAMM and of all that the team continues to do.”

RAMM has long held a place of cultural importance in the city, with its collection held in trust for the public and used to tell stories from Exeter’s past and present.

Camilla Hampshire is one of several Exeter-based recipients named in this year’s Honours list. Read more about the Exeter climate scientists also recognised: here.