Entertainment

Joanna Lumley and Tom Dean to be recognised with honours at Buckingham Palace

The Absolutely Fabulous star will be appointed a dame commander.
The Absolutely Fabulous star will be appointed a dame commander. The Absolutely Fabulous star will be appointed a dame commander.

Actress Dame Joanna Lumley and Olympic swimmer Tom Dean are among those who will be recognised with honours at Buckingham Palace.

Absolutely Fabulous star Dame Joanna, known for playing Patsy Stone in the sitcom, will be appointed a dame commander for services to drama, entertainment and charitable causes.

The 76-year-old actress was made an OBE in 1995 by the Queen, but will receive the higher accolade from the Princess Royal at the investiture ceremony on Thursday.

Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley Joanna Lumley at Buckingham Palace in 1995 (John Stillwell/PA)

Dame Joanna has made a name for herself campaigning for the rights of Gurkhas to settle in the UK and also supports numerous environmental campaigns.

She was born in Kashmir and moved to England as a child. Her father was a major in the Gurkha Rifles.

Olympic swimming champion Dean is expected to pick up his MBE for services to swimming.

The 22-year-old was the first British male in more than a century to win two golds at the same Games at Tokyo 2020.

He became a double Olympic champion with gold medals in the 4x200m freestyle relay and the 200m freestyle on his Games debut.

Tom Dean
Tom Dean Tom Dean (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Other prominent sportsmen being made MBEs are Dylan Fletcher-Scott for services to sailing and Thomas McEwen for services to equestrianism.

Fletcher-Scott made Team GB sailing history at Tokyo by winning the men’s 49er gold with partner Stuart Bithell.

McEwen helped Great Britain win its first Olympic eventing team gold medal since 1972 at Tokyo, and also secured individual silver.

Away from sport, Professor Kathleen Stock, former professor of philosophy at the University of Sussex, is due to be made an OBE for services to higher education.

She quit the university last year amid a row over her views on gender identity.

Her decision came after an anonymous group, reportedly set up by students, launched a campaign to get her sacked amid accusations of transphobia.