Britons ranging from Hollywood stars Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo to a 102-year-old judo instructor have been named in King Charles III's New Year's honours list, an annual tradition that recognises people for their contributions to UK public life.
Elba, who starred as a drug dealer in The Wire and the president of the United States in A House of Dynamite, was knighted for his services to young people after he and his wife, Sabrina, founded the Elba Hope Foundation to target issues such as knife crime, education and poverty.
The actor accepted the honour on behalf of the young people served by the charity.
"I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence," Elba said.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, the ice dancing duo who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, were also awarded top honours, with Torvill receiving a damehood and Dean a knighthood.
Erivo, one of the stars of Wicked, was named a Member of the British Empire, or MBE, for services to music and drama. And John Hearn, who goes by the name Judo Jack, received a British Empire Medal, after the Guinness World Records recognised him as the world’s oldest judo instructor.
Other honourees include author and comedian Richard Osman, who writes the Thursday Murder Club book series and was declared an Officer of the British Empire; retired marathon runner Paula Radcliffe, Officer of the British Empire; and 101-year-old D-Day veteran Mervyn Kersh, who was awarded a British Empire Medal for school talks on Holocaust remembrance and his wartime service.
The history of Britain's honours system stretches back to the Middle Ages, when monarchs gave gifts of land, money and titles to those who served the crown. In modern times, that has evolved into a hierarchy of honorary distinctions awarded by the king on the recommendation of the government.
Modern honours are awarded for contributions in areas such as government, academia, the arts and sports. While many of the awards go to politicians, pop stars and Olympic medallists, honourees often include librarians, charity workers and civil servants who serve their communities with little fanfare.
In all, 1150 people received New Year's honours this year.
The most prestigious honours are knighthoods and damehoods. Men who receive the awards are entitled to use the honorific sir before their names, while women use the title dame.
Below that are the three levels of the Order of the British Empire. These are known, in order of precedence, as Commander, or CBE; Officer, or OBE; and Member, or MBE. Recipients are entitled to use the initials related to their award after their names.
Honours are generally announced twice a year on New Year's and the king’s birthday. They are presented by the king or another member of the royal family at ceremonies throughout the year.
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