The New Year’s honours list has been released, with a number of famous faces amongst the names once more: Nick Clegg, Darcey Bussell, Ringo Starr, Michael Morpurgo and Jilly Cooper are just a few.
Judge of Strictly Come Dancing, Darcey Bussell is to be made a Dame for her services to dance. Bussell, who is already a CBE, made her name as a ballerina with The Royal Ballet, and is recognised as one of Britain’s finest ballet dancers.
darcey bussell is made a dame for her services to dance (scillystuff)
Other Dames recognised in this list are Professor Janet Patricia Beer, as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, for services to Higher Education and equality; Clare Marx, who is President of the Royal College of Surgeons, for services to Surgery in the NHS, and Cheryl Gillan, MP, has been awarded a damehood for her political and public service.
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Richard Starkey, aka Ringo Starr, and Barry Gibb, part of the BeeGees, have been given knighthoods for their services to music. Starr, 77, already holds an MBE, which was awarded in 1965, and Gibb, 71, similarly holds a CBE, given in 2004.
Amongst politicians, former deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, will also be made a ‘Sir’, for his services as Deputy Prime Minister during the last coalition government. Tory backbencher Graham Brady has also been given the award.
Author Michael Morpurgo is another, in recognition of his work in the literature and charity arenas.
The Queen’s former private secretary of 10-years, Lord Geidt, has been made a Companion of the Queen’s Service Order. He is already a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GVCO), a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB), an OBE and a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, for personal service to the Monarch.
Melvyn Bragg, along with historian Lady Antonia Fraser, have been taken into the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to broadcasting and the arts, and services to literature respectively.
Jilly Cooper has been made a CBE for services to literature and charity, while the AI expert whom Prince Harry recently interviews, Dr Demis Hassabis, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of DeepMind, gets his for services to Science and Technology.
Hugh Laurie also becomes part of this group after his contributions to the acting world, while chef Rick Stein gets his for services to the economy.
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Andrew Fry receives an OBE for services to the Fire and Rescue Service as the recent Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. A more well-known name, Eamon Holmes, also gets an OBE for services to broadcasting.
Rugby stars Sam Warbuton and Ian McLauchlan receive the same honour, as does the England women’s cricket captain, Heather Knight.
Other unsung heroes recognised in the New Years Honours include Elizabeth Atkinson, a Cancer Specialist Nurse, who has helped cancer patients and their families gets an MBE. Deborah Brownson has an MBE for services to Autism awareness; David Burn gets the same, recognising his work with the Magistracy and the community in Northumberland; Josephine Totton has a CBE for services to housing providers in the North of England.
Paul Taiano, the Chair of Governors for the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, receives an OBE for services to Drama Training and Horse Racing Welfare, while Craig Carscadden gets his MBE for services to athletes with disabilities and to the Paralympics.
You can read the full list here.
