Countdown singer Rachel Riley, as well as comedian Frank Skinner and Queen guitarist Brian May, appear on the inaugural New Year’s Honours list released by King Charles.
Four Lionesses have been knighted as part of the New Year’s Honours list, which also includes the knighting of Queen guitarist Brian May and artist Grayson Perry.
These are the first gongs granted by King Charles, who also honored several politicians and charity workers.
There are lionesses on the list, although not all of them
Captain Leigh Williamson is one of four members of England’s Euro 2022-winning team to be included on the list; she has been granted an OBE, while colleagues Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead, and Ellen White have been made MBEs.
Previous lists honored all members of victorious national teams, therefore the decision to only include a handful of squad members was questioned.
In 2003, all 31 England Rugby World Cup participants were named on the New Year’s Honours list, while the 2005 England cricket squad that won the Ashes was also widely recognized. In 2011, however, only three key players from the Ashes-winning team were selected.
Sir Hugh Robertson, head of the honors sports committee, stated at a news conference in response to a question on the exclusion of several Lionesses, “We have attempted to adhere to the principle of the honors system, which is to recognize excellence and extraordinary contributions.
Guitarist for Queen honored for contributions to music and charity
Brian May, a musician, and advocate for animal rights has been made a Knight Bachelor.
The guitarist performed God Save the Queen on the roof of Buckingham Palace during the Golden Jubilee and again for the Platinum Jubilee twenty years later.
He told that he is “very pleased” that his royal trip would “finish with a sword on my shoulder.”
He viewed the knighthood as a “sort of challenge,” stating, “I believe that’s how I view it, to do good in the world and do better than I have in the past.”
Sir Brian co-founded the Save Me animal welfare organization and stated that he was “perhaps most proud of the small things we’ve accomplished for animals. This is a continuous issue, and I hope that the knighthood will assist”.
Dame Mary Quant was appointed an Honor Companion
Dame Mary Quant, the fashion designer largely credited with popularising the miniskirt, has been inducted into the Order of the Companions of Honour.
The 92-year-old received a unique award awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts, science, medicine, or government.
Dame Mary joins a distinguished roster of winners that includes Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Paul McCartney, and Sir Elton John.
In 2014, she was named a dame for her contributions to British fashion in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list, and in 1966, she was awarded an OBE.
Knighting Grayson Perry for services to the arts
Grayson Perry, a Turner Prize-winning artist and television presenter, has been knighted for services to the arts.
As one of the most prominent artists in the United Kingdom, the 62-year-old has worked with pottery, sculptures, and tapestries, as well as writing and documentary presenting and is known for cross-dressing and social satire.
Rachel Riley, of Countdown, was awarded an MBE for Holocaust advocacy work.
Rachel Riley, a TV host, and mathematician has been recognized for her work to enhance Holocaust awareness and combat antisemitism.
The 36-year-old Oxford University graduate was an outspoken critic of Labour’s handling of suspected antisemitism inside the party and Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
In January 2019, she spoke at a Westminster reception for the Holocaust Educational Trust about the online harassment she suffered as a public figure. Additionally, she has worked with the Centre for Countering Digital Hate to address online harassment.
Frank Skinner believed honor to be an “administrative error”
Frank Skinner, whose full name is Christopher Graham Collins, has been recognized for his contributions to the entertainment industry.
The 65-year-old stated he had not yet informed those closest to him about his MBE because he believed it was “some sort of administrative blunder.”
He stated, “I primarily deal with laughter and applause, and they rapidly evaporate into thin air.”
Obtaining a legitimate medal that you can keep and polish periodically has given my career a sense of permanence that I appreciate.
David Harewood was awarded the OBE for his efforts to promote mental health awareness.
Actor and broadcaster David Harewood were honored for his contributions to drama and philanthropy. He gained global recognition for his portrayal of CIA director David Estes in the US drama series Homeland.
He has described his childhood encounters with racism and the ensuing intrusive emotions that followed him into adulthood.
Stephen Graham, star of This Is England, was awarded an OBE for services to drama.
Stephen Graham was honored for his contributions to drama throughout the course of a three-decade career in which he played Irish, English, and American criminals and police officers in numerous blockbuster Hollywood films and hit television series.
In the 2006 film This Is England, he portrayed the short-fused English nationalist Andrew “Combo” Gascoigne, a role he later returned to in the Channel 4 series This Is England.
