Singer Ellie Goulding has been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to biodiversity and the climate.

The chart-topping popstar, who is a global environmental ambassador for the UN, is celebrating being in the New Year Honours List on her birthday, December 30.

It was published yesterday, Monday, December 29.

The list names Ms Goulding as Elena Jane Goulding and reveals she is based in Cirencester.

“Elena Jane Goulding. Lately UN Goodwill Ambassador, UN Environmental Programme and Ambassador, World Wildlife Fund. For services to Biodiversity and the Climate. (Cirencester, Gloucestershire),” the list says.

Ms Goulding, born in Hereford in 1986, has had a string of UK number-one hits, including Burn in 2013, Love Me Like You Do in 2015, River in 2019 and Miracle with fellow Cotswolds musician Calvin Harris in 2023.

According to the Daily Mail, Mr Harris acquired a Cotswolds property estimated to be worth £3.5 million for wife Vick Hope and their baby son Micah and reportedly plans to keep developing the surrounding area by buying an extra two properties.

Ms Goulding played clarinet and guitar as a child and developed her passion for music as a young adult, setting up a MySpace account to get in touch with music producers.

Aged just 23, she won the Critics’ Choice Brit Award and came top of the BBC’s influential Sound Of 2010 poll.

Her debut album Lights, which contained hit Starry Eyed, was released the same year and soared straight to number one in the UK albums chart.

Her other UK number-one albums are Halcyon from 2012, Brightest Blue from 2020 and Higher Than Heaven from 2023.

The singer has also collaborated with names such as rapper Tinie Tempah and electronic group Major Lazer.

Ms Goulding has one son, Arthur, born in 2021, with art dealer and former husband Caspar Jopling.

Another Cirencester householder named an MBE in the New Year Honours List is Michael Robert Quixano Henriques.

Chair of The County Air Ambulance Helicopter Emergency Landing Pads Appeal, he has been named an MBE for charitable service.