Former England football captain David Beckham, Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman and The Who's frontman Roger Daltrey were knighted in King Charles III's birthday honours list released late Friday.
Elaine Paige, the renowned musicals singer, Booker Prize winner Pat Barker and former Conservative government minister Penny Mordaunt were given damehoods, the female equivalent of a knighthood.
The honours, which aim to reward individuals for their contributions to British life, are awarded twice a year to celebrities and public figures, as well as ordinary people – once at New Year’s, and then in June to mark the king’s birthday.
The winners are chosen by civil servants’ committees based on nominations from the government and the public. The awards are usually given out by the king or a senior royal acting in his place at Buckingham Palace.
Sir David, 50, was widely expected to be knighted following speculation last week that appeared to be based on a conversation he had with the monarch at the Chelsea Flower Show last month.
As well as representing England 115 times, including 59 times as captain, Beckham played for some of Europe's most venerable clubs, most notably Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Sir David's wife and former Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham said she “could not be prouder” after the announcement.
He has been knighted for his services to sport and to charity, having partnered with Unicef for two decades and campaigned with a charity working to eradicate malaria. Sir Beckham also played a pivotal role in London being awarded the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
“Growing up in East London with parents and grandparents who were so patriotic and proud to be British, I never could have imagined I would receive such a truly humbling honour,” he said.
Oldman, 67, was recognised for his services to drama both on screen and on stage. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the 2017 film “Darkest Hour,” and recently dazzled audiences in the Apple TV spy thriller series "Slow Horses.”
Daltrey, who cofounded The Who in 1964, has been recognised for services to charity, as well as music, having been a patron of “Teenage Cancer Trust” since 2000.
Paige, 77, was honoured for her services to charity as well as music. She has held senior roles at a charity supporting young people with acquired brain injury and another one that supports disabled tennis players.
“I’ve got all these different emotions coming at me all at once,” she said. “I’m proud and I feel grateful and I’m thrilled and surprised, and so it’s been quite a lot to take in.”
Barker, 82, known for “The Regeneration Trilogy,” said she thought the letter announcing her damehood was from “really angry” tax authorities.
More than 1,200 people received honours in the latest list.
The oldest recipient was 106-year-old Second World War veteran William Irwin, who was awarded a British Empire Medal, for his services to the community.
The youngest was 11-year-old disability campaigner Carmela Chillery-Watson, who was made a “Member of the Most Excellent Order British Empire,” or MBE. Chillery-Watson, who has LMNA congenital muscular dystrophy, has become the youngest recipient of the award for helping raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for Muscular Dystrophy UK.
In what is thought to be a first, three members of the same family were named in the same list. Jenna Speirs, her mother Caroline and father Duncan were each awarded a British Empire Medal for founding a children’s cancer charity called Calum’s Cabin after Jenna’s twin brother died of an inoperable brain tumour aged 12.
Campaigners who have fought to tackle the rise of knife crime were also recognised. Pooja Kanda, whose 16-year-old son was murdered with a ninja sword near his home, was awarded the Order of the British Empire, or OBE. Alison Madgin, the mother of 18-year-old Samantha Madgin, who was knifed to death, was made an MBE alongside her daughter Carly Barrett.
