LONDON: A Beatle and a Bee Gee are among the celebrated British citizens selected for knighthood and other awards by Queen Elizabeth II.
The New Year's Honours List made public late Friday revealed that Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Barry Gibb, the oldest and last surviving of the brothers who made up the pop group the Bee Gees, have been tapped as knights.
The author celebrated for War Horse, a politician who fought in vain to keep Britain in the European Union, and many others, including renowned researchers, volunteers and actors, also made the list.
Sir Ringo is listed as Richard Starkey, a Liverpudlian being honoured for services to music, but the world knows him as the drummer for one of the most famous bands in the history of recorded music.
"It's great!" Starr said in a brief message on Friday. "It's an honour and a pleasure to be considered and acknowledged for my music and my charity work, both of which I love. Peace and love. Ringo."
Starr, 77, joins fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Elton John and Van Morrison among the 1960s rock royalty honoured by the Queen.
Barry Gibb, now Sir Barry, performs during the Glastonbury Festival in Britain in June this year. (Reuters Photo)
Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bee Gees, said he was dedicating his knighthood to his late bandmates, twin brothers Robin Gibb, who died in 2012, and Maurice Gibb, who died in 2003.
"I want to acknowledge how responsible my brothers are for this honour," said Gibb, 71. "It is as much theirs as it is mine."
He was recognised for services to music and charity.
"This is a moment in life to be treasured and never forgotten," he said.
Author Michael Morpurgo said he was giving his knighthood to Joey, the fictional horse at the centre of his book and play War Horse.
Morpurgo, 74, has written many treasured children's books, but it is his 1982 book War Horse and the wildly successful play that followed that brought him worldwide fame.
The story, set at the start of World War I, chronicles the friendship between a young boy and his horse, Joey. It was staged using life-size horse puppets that enchanted audiences.
Morpurgo is being knighted for his charitable works as well as for his writing, but he says the honour is really about War Horse and the impact of the production staged by the National Theatre.
"There was never a knight that has owed so much to his horse as this one -- and in fact, we will give the knighthood to Joey and call him Sir Joey," said Morpurgo.
Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats after the party's poor performance in the 2015 election, gets a handsome consolation prize in the form of a knighthood recognising his service to politics.
At just 50 years old, Clegg is young enough to contemplate a return to electoral politics. He has remained a vocal opponent of the Brexit process.
Among other honourees, Darcy Bussell, 48, a former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, was named a dame. She is currently one of the four judges in the long-running BBC TV ballroom contest Strictly Come Dancing.
The New Year's honours aim to recognise not just well-known figures but those who have contributed to national life through often selfless and unsung contributions over many years.
In that category, Margaret Jamieson, of the Blue Door charity shop on the Scottish island of Orkney is recognised, along with Geoffrey Evans, a local councillor in Falmouth, Cornwall for over 40 years.
Actor Hugh Laurie of House TV fame receives the Copmmander of the British Empire (CBE) medal, as does author Jilly Cooper and the former editor of British Vogue magazine Alexandra Shulman.
England women’s cricket captain Heather Knight is made an OBE while hip hop artist Richard Cowie, aka Wiley, is made an MBE, along with Paralympian athlete Stefanie Reid.
The biannual honours list is released on the Queen's official birthday in June and at the end of each year.