Dame Imelda Staunton, Heather Small, Rebecca Ferguson and Simon Le Bon are among those receiving royal honours at Windsor Castle today (Tuesday 12 November).
Staunton, who portrayed the late Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s royal drama The Crown, has received her title for her services to drama and charity.
She is best known for playing Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films, with her other credits also including Downton Abbey, Paddington and Nanny McPhee.
Elsewhere at the ceremony, Duran Duran frontman Le Bon will be made an MBE for his services to music and charity.
The singer said he was “truly beyond thrilled and surprised” in his initial reaction to the royal honour.
Duran Duran, whose hit songs include “Rio” and “Hungry Like The Wolf”, had a number one album in the UK charts with Seven And The Ragged Tiger in 1983 and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
Le Bon said: “These last few years have been some of the most important in Duran Duran’s career, and this is a bright but humbling highlight as our journey continues.
“It is fitting that the honour has been awarded not just for my role in music, but also for the work I’ve been fortunate to be involved with outside the band for some of the causes I believe in.:
British soul singer Heather Small, best known for her hit songs “Proud” and “Holding On” will also be awarded an MBE for voluntary and charitable services.
The 59-year-old actively supports several charities including Action Breaks Silence, which aims to eradicate violence against women and girls.
Singer-songwriter Rebecca Ferguson, best known for finishing in the X Factor runners up in 2010, has also been recognised at the investiture ceremony. She will be made an MBE for her services to the music industry, including her campaigning for the introduction of the new regulatory body for the sector that ensures artist welfare.
The musician, who has been turning her attention to activism in recent years, met with former culture secretary Oliver Dowden in 2021 to discuss discrimination in the music industry, and called on media watchdog Ofcom to conduct an investigation into reality TV shows last year.
Graeme Souness, former Liverpool manager and TV pundit, will be made a CBE for his services to football and charity.
The footballer represented his country at three World Cups and won five league titles and three European Cups with Liverpool before moving into commentating.
He is the vice president of Debra UK, a charity that raises awareness of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a group of genetic skin conditions that cause the skin to blister and tear at the slightest touch. Souness helped to raise £1.5 million for the charity when he joined a swimming challenge across the English Channel in 2023.
Additional reporting from Agencies
