LONDON – Britons 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 Honors list, an annual tradition that recognizes people for their contributions to Britain’s 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 when he and his wife Sabrina founded the Elba Hope Foundation to target issues such as knife crime, education and poverty.
The actor accepted the honor on behalf of the youth served by the charity.
Alba said, “I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of ongoing, practical support for young people and the responsibility we have to help them find alternatives to violence.”
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, the gold medal-winning ice dancing pair at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Zaragoza, 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 Order of the British Empire, or MBE, for services to music and drama. And John Hearn, known as Judo Jack, received a British Empire Medal after Guinness World Records recognized him as the world’s oldest judo instructor.
Other honorees include author and comedian Richard Osman, who writes the “Thursday Murder Club” book series and was declared an Officer of the Order 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 the British Empire Medal for his school talk on Holocaust remembrance and his wartime service.
The history of Britain’s honors system stretches back to the Middle Ages, when monarchs would gift lands, money, and titles to those who served the crown. In modern times, it has evolved into a hierarchy of honorary honours, awarded by the King on the recommendation of the government.
Modern honors are awarded for contributions in fields such as government, education, arts and sports. While many awards are given to politicians, pop stars and Olympic medalists, honorees often include librarians, charity workers and civil servants who serve their communities with less fanfare.
A total of 1,150 people received New Year honors this year.
The most prestigious honors are knighthood and damehood. Men receiving the award are entitled to use the honorific “Sir” before their name, while women use the title “Dame”.
Below that are three levels of order of the British Empire. These are known as commanders, or CBEs, in order of precedence; Officer, or OBE; and Member, or MBE. Recipients are entitled to use the award-related initials after their name.
Honors are usually announced twice a year, on New Year’s Eve and the King’s birthday. These are presented by the king or some other member of the royal family at ceremonies throughout the year.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.