Darcey Bussell Leads Famous Faces On New Year’s Honours List With Damehood

Congratulations are in order 🥂
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Darcey Bussell has something extra to celebrate this New Year, as the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judge has been awarded a Damehood in the annual Honours List.

Announced on Friday (29 December) night, the list also reveals two musicians, Richard Starkey - who you probably know better as Ringo Starr - and Barry Gibb, will receive Knighthoods.

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Nick Ansell - PA Images via Getty Images

Author Michael Morpurgo, the former British Children’s Laureate, will also become a Sir, while Jilly Cooper and Hugh Laurie have been awarded CBEs.

Eamonn Holmes is also the recipient of an OBE, while grime star Wiley - who will be introduced to the Royals by his real name, Richard Cowie - has earned an MBE.

The stars will all formally receive their honours at Investiture ceremonies, but in years gone by, not everyone has welcomed an honour from the Queen.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ director Danny Boyle said, “It’s just not me”, when he was offered an honour, as did Paul Weller when he was offered a CBE in 2006. 

His spokesperson said at the time: “Paul was surprised and flattered, but it wasn’t really for him.”

People Stripped Of Their Honours
Stuart Hall(01 of15)
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The former BBC broadcaster was stripped of his OBE by the Queen after he was jailed in 2013 for a series of sexual assaults on young girls.

During sentencing, the judge said Hall had acted with "a sense of arrogance and immunity... vile bravado and horrible betrayal", according to the BBC.
(credit:Martin Rickett/PA Archive)
Rolf Harris(02 of15)
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The disgraced entertainer, who is still in prison, was stripped of his CBE after he was convicted of sex attacks on girls as young as seven.

He is set to face trial again in 2017 on further indecent assault charges.
(credit:Dominic Lipinski/PA Archive)
Fred Goodwin(03 of15)
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Fred 'The Shred' Goodwin, the former head of Royal Bank of Scotland lost his knighthood, which he had been awarded for "services to banking".

At the time, a Cabinet spokesperson said that "the failure of RBS played an important role in the financial crisis of 2008/9."
(credit:Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
Lester Piggott(04 of15)
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Although widely regarded as one of the greatest flat racing jockeys of all time, that did not prevent Piggott losing his OBE after he was convicted of tax fraud. (credit:Julian Herbert via Getty Images)
Phil Taylor(05 of15)
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Phil 'The Power' Taylor was nominated for an MBE but it was annulled before he could even be awarded it after he was convicted of indecent assault. (credit:John Walton/PA Archive)
Naseem Hamed(06 of15)
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Naseem Hamed was stripped of his MBE after spending time in jail for dangerous driving.

He was involved in a car crash at 90mph, which left the driver of another car with every major bone in his body broken, as well as injuries to his brain, according to the Guardian.
(credit:Reuters Photographer / Reuters)
Jean Else(07 of15)
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The 'super-head' was the first woman to have a damehood revoked.

She was stripped of her honour after the General Teaching Council found her guilty of failing to observe minimum standards in recruiting and promoting staff for her promotion of her twin sister.
(credit:David Jones/PA Archive)
Jack Lyons(08 of15)
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Jack Lyons, part of the so-called Guinness Four, lost his knighthood after being convicted of illegally boosting the price of shares. (credit:Adam Butler/PA Archive)
Kim Philby(09 of15)
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Philby lost his OBE after he was exposed as a double agent. He was exposed as a member of the so-called Cambridge Five spy ring and defected to the Soviet Union. (credit:Pictorial Parade via Getty Images)
Anthony Blunt(10 of15)
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Anthony Blunt, 72, was stripped of his knighthood after he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring alongside Philby. (credit:PA/PA Archive)
Roger Casement(11 of15)
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Roger Casement lost his knighthood before his execution for treason due to his role in the 1916 Easter Uprising.

The Irish-born diplomat and human rights campaigner had tried to deliver weapons to republicans ahead of the uprising.
(credit:PA/PA Archive)
Vidkun Quisling(12 of15)
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Vidkun Quisling lost his CBE for collaborating with the Nazis when he headed a German puppet government in Oslo.

The word "quisling" is often now used to mean a "collaborator" or "traitor".
(credit:Keystone Features via Getty Images)
Nicolae Ceausescu(13 of15)
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Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu had his knighthood revoked the day before he was executed by a revolutionary firing squad. (credit:AP)
Robert Mugabe(14 of15)
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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe had his honorary knighthood annulled in 2008.

At the time, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We can no longer justify an individual who is responsible for a consistent campaign of human rights violations and the disregard for the democratic process retaining an honour."
(credit:Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP)
Benito Mussolini(15 of15)
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Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, was stripped of his honorary knighthood when Italy joined with Nazi Germany to declare war on the UK. (credit:Associated Press/AP)