Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, former England soccer team manager Gareth Southgate and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan are among the names recognized by King Charles III in his annual New Year Honors list.
According to the U.K. Cabinet Office, more than 1,200 people from all walks of life have been selected to receive an honor for their achievements and service to British society. The 2025 honors list was announced on Tuesday, December 31.
Mulligan, 39, has been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), along with Julia and Black Doves actress Sarah Lancashire, for their services to drama. “It’s an unexpected delight,” said Lancashire, 60, per the Guardian. Mulligan, meanwhile, rose to fame for her starring role in 2009’s An Education, for which she received a best actress nomination at the Oscars. She received two more best actress nominations for 2021’s Promising Young Woman and 2024’s Maestro.
Southgate, Khan and actor Stephen Fry have all received knighthoods from the king for their services to soccer, public service and mental health awareness respectively.
One of the most prestigious accolades that a British native can receive is a damehood or a knighthood from a member of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II, her children and her grandchildren are permitted to hand out various awards to exemplary citizens of the Commonwealth. Per the official country’s website, a knight or dame […]
“When you are recognized it does make you feel a bit ‘crikey,’ but I think the most emotional thing is that when I think of my childhood, and my dreadful unhappiness and misery and stupidity, and everything that led to so many failures as a child,” Fry said. “And for my parents, really, what a disaster. I mean every time the phone rang, they thought: ‘Oh, God, what has Stephen done now?’ It was a sort of joke in the family.”
“I couldn’t have dreamed when growing up on a council estate in south London that I would one day be mayor of London,” said Khan. “It’s the honor of my life to serve the city I love and I will continue to build the fairer, safer, greener and more prosperous London that all of the capital’s communities deserve.”
A truly A-list event. Celebrities including Lionel Richie and Jill Biden attended King Charles III‘s coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday, May 6. The “All Night Long” singer, 73, and the first lady, 71, were both present as Charles, 74, was officially crowned king. Other guests included French president Emmanuel Macron, Canadian […]
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the honors list celebrates “unsung heroes” of British society.
“Each and every day, ordinary people go out and do extraordinary things for their communities,” Starmer said. “They represent the very best of the UK and that core value of service which I put at the centre of everything this government does. The New Year Honours List celebrates more of these unsung heroes, and I thank them for their incredible contribution.”
The full honors list is available here.
