King Charles III reveals soundtrack to his life to mark Commonwealth Day
From Bob Marley to Raye, the British monarch created a playlist of 17 songs which brought him joy over the years.
Idris Elba and Meera Syal were among a number of British stars to receive honours from King Charles at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
Elba was knighted for services to young people. Syal, the actor and comedian known for The Kumars At No 42, was recognised for her services to literature, drama and charity.
Elba, the star of The Wire and Luther, among many other titles, has teamed up with the king to make a documentary marking 50 years of the Prince’s Trust — now called the King’s Trust — a grant he benefitted from as a teenager. He used the money to attend the National Youth Music Theatre when he was 18.
According to the BBC, the actor founded the Elba Hope Foundation in 2022 to support community empowerment, education, youth advocacy and sustainable development.
In 2017, Syal was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and in 2023, she was awarded the Bafta Fellowship, the British Academy’s highest accolade for a career on screen.
The New Year honours, which have been awarded since at least 1890, aim to recognise not just well-known figures but people who have contributed to national life through often unsung work over many years.
The full list includes more than 1,157 people in politics, sport, the arts or community service who were awarded titles from Member, Commander or Officer of the Order of the British Empire to the highest honours of knighthoods and damehoods.