Hilary Mantel becomes a Dame (and Dame Maggie gets a new award)

show ad

Rounded up to be killed: ISIS seizes dozens of Iraqi soldiers and drives them to desert to be shot in revenge for commander's death
Family's outrage as 3-year-old left with facial injuries after being mauled by a pit bull is thrown out of KFC by employee who said her face was 'scaring the other diners'
Neurologist accused of having sex with brain injured patient
Today's fathers spend seven times as much time with their children than they did 40 years ago - when it was roughly five minutes a day
Denying climate change is like saying the moon is made of cheese, argues Obama as he takes on global warming deniers at commencement speech
NBC golf analyst's driver arrested at U.S. Open after running over cop with his cart
American woman, 24, 'was raped in Brazil after watching Australia-Chile World Cup match'
U.S. Army appoints General to lead investigation into Bowe Bergdahl's desertion and capture by the Taliban
EXCLUSIVE: Jagger's lover is a ballet dancer 43 years his junior... and they met two weeks BEFORE L'Wren's sad suicide
Scores of New Yorkers flock Central Park to take part in Hidden Cash treasure hunt which has gone down a storm on the west coast
Harrison Ford's wife travels to be at his hospital bedside as fears grow injuries could be worse than previously thought
Smiling assassin of Iraq dubbed the Desert Lion who has reputation for roadside executions enjoys his role as the poster boy for jihad
How Isis have rampaged towards the capital: A blow by blow account of how Islamist militants outnumbered 20-to-1 by the army cut through huge swathes of Iraq
'I'll see you guys in New York:' US commander who was ordered to hand captured ISIS leader-to-be to Iraqis in 2009 reveals chilling parting words of fanatic who is leading extremist march on Baghdad
Basketball courts built by the Americans remain, but expensive military hardware left to the Iraqi army by the US lies burnt and charred
Don't blame me for meltdown in Iraq: Astonishing 'essay' by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who says Obama quit too soon
'Jessica Simpson's $18,000 make-up rider, Dennis Rodman's 28 near-no-shows and a drunk Quentin Tarantino': Insider releases tell-all book about celebrity 'divas' backstage on the Tonight Show
Three teens including two siblings killed in horror hit-and-run on their way home from a party
Eight-year-old boy who dreamed of being a pilot dies two days before Father's Day in crash during plane ride which was a treat from a family friend
Country-wide hunt for Florida mom on the run with daughter, 2, after kidnapping her from dad 'to stop her being vaccinated'
Border Patrol union under fire for 'racist' tweet listing 'burrito wrapping' as part of new job description after photos revealed sub-human conditions in which immigrant children are kept
Top Canadian horse rider, 30, dies after fall at international equestrian event in south of England
'They were trying to kill me!' Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry claims HE was the victim in infamous 1990 crack cocaine bust
Moment a desperate homeowner was transferred to VOICEMAIL as he called 911 for help during home invasion

Writer of Bring Up The Bodies, 61, who has a CBE, now becomes a dame
Oscar-winning star Dame Maggie Smith elevated to Companion of Honour
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis, first man to win three Oscars, is knighted
Winter Olympian Lizzy Yarnold, first to win a gold medal, awarded an MBE
Visually impaired skier Kelly Gallagher and guide Charlotte Evans honoured

Published: 16:46 EST, 13 June 2014 | Updated: 02:46 EST, 14 June 2014

188

View
comments

Best-selling author Hilary Mantel becomes a dame for a lifetime of service to literature.

The popular writer, 61, whose novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies about the life of Henry VIII’s adviser Thomas Cromwell have been critical and commercial hits, already has a CBE.

She has also been controversial, once claiming the Duchess of Cambridge was portrayed as a ‘shop window mannequin’ whose only purpose was to breed.

Scroll down for video

Awards: Critically acclaimed author Hilary Mantel will be made a dame for a lifetime of service to literature

Accolade: Oscar-winning actress Dame Maggie Smith, 79, has been elevated to Companion of Honour

During a lecture at the British Museum last year, Miss Mantel criticised Kate for appearing to have been ‘gloss-varnished’ with a perfect plastic smile who was ‘painfully thin’ and selected for her role of princess because she posed no risk of showing any character.

Last night she said: ‘I’m delighted to receive this honour. It’s given for services to literature, but I see it not so much as a reward for the past, more as encouragement for the future.’

Oscar-winning star Dame Maggie Smith has been elevated to a Companion of Honour.

More...

The 79-year-old, recently best known as the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey and Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, has had an extensive career stretching back to the 1950s and has collected numerous awards.

Daniel Day-Lewis, the first man to win three best actor Oscars, is knighted.

The 55-year-old actor, the son of former poet laureate Cecil Day-Lewis and actress Jill Balcon, said: ‘I’m entirely amazed and utterly delighted in equal measure.’

Honour: Daniel Day-Lewis, the first man to win three Oscars, has been knighted

Damian Lewis, star of US drama series Homeland, receives the OBE. The 43-year-old, married to actress Helen McCrory, said: ‘I decided to do the very un-British thing of accepting the compliment.’

Writer Hunter Davies, 78, who wrote the only authorised biography of the Beatles, also receives the OBE and said he was looking forward to visiting the palace having taken his brother-in-law there when he was honoured 20 years ago.

Entertainer John Barrowman said he was thrilled by his award of an MBE for his services to entertainment and charity.

Singer and broadcaster Cerys Matthews landed an MBE for her services to music, and there was an OBE for showbusiness agent and impresario Jonathan Shalit.

Sporting: Lizzy Yarnold, who won Britain's first gold of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, is awarded an MBE

Lizzy Yarnold still can't believe she's Olympic skeleton champ

Classical pianist Andras Schiff receives a knighthood, while an MBE goes to Nicola Clarke, chairman of the Military Wives Choirs Foundation. A CBE goes to Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time presenter Roy Lancaster, while an OBE goes to Mercury Prize-winning musician Talvin Singh.

BBC chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet receives an OBE for services to British broadcast journalism.

In sport, Britain’s Winter Olympians are honoured. Skeleton gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold, who won Britain’s first gold medal of the Sochi 2014 Games, receives an MBE, as do visually impaired skier Kelly Gallagher and her guide Charlotte Evans, who won Britain’s first ever gold in the Winter Paralympics.

England women’s cricket captain Charlotte Edwards receives a CBE, with an MBE going to her deputy Jenny Gunn.

MOST WATCHED NEWS VIDEOS

Comments (188)

Share what you think

View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

ScroungerQueenLiz, London, United Kingdom, 12 hours ago

HRHag bestows honours upon those people who've actually earned their recognition- as opposed to the ne'er do well Windsors. Brilliant.

Click to rate

Mary, Scarborough, 18 hours ago

Congratulations and best wishes to Maggie Smith. She is an international treasure having won every major acting award. So happy to hear that she will soon be seen again in the fifth season of Downton Abbey, which would not be as worldwide popular without her as the Dowager Countess.

Click to rate

CaroB007, Manchester UK, 20 hours ago

The Honours List gets more ridiculous every year.... there doesn't seem to be any logic in who receives an award... can imagine the Royals all sat around, laughing and sticking pins in a long list of people... some people really do deserve the awards, but others... well it's just a joke... so hit and miss... which makes the honours worthless.

Click to rate

Jess434, New York, 20 hours ago

Looks like Hilary Clinton.

Click to rate

tom, rotherham, 22 hours ago

Hilary Mantel is the best novelist in English out there at the moment. Tremendous writer. Deserves everything she gets.

Click to rate

Kaylined, Swansea, United Kingdom, 23 hours ago

Chuffed for Cerys Matthews... well deserved recognition at last :)

Click to rate

Cringeworthy, Leicester, United Kingdom, 23 hours ago

Wow! Scary.

Click to rate

null, 1 day ago

Can't believe this they are making These things worthless

Click to rate

Richard UK taxpayer, Federal non democratic EEC, Spain, 1 day ago

If anyone did NOT deserve this honour it is Hilary Mantel after her spiteful comments about the royal family. Some may think her talented, I do not, to me she is an example of the emperors new clothes syndrome

Click to rate

anne, sheffield, United Kingdom, 20 hours ago

never taken so long to read a book as it took to read Wolf Hall. Dreadful had to keep going back to see who I was reading about. She really is a waste of time. Cannot understand why she was given this honour - still they throw them about like confetti now.