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.
Idris Elba has received an honour from the King.Credit: AP
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.
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo.Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
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.