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Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One title winner, has received the knighthood on the New Years honors list.
The 35-year-old man had previously been overlooked, reportedly due to his tax affairs and his move to Monaco in 2010.
But in November, Motorsport UK and the All Game Parliamentary Group for Formula One wrote to the prime minister saying it would be “totally wrong” to deny the champion the knighthood because his “tax status has been misunderstood”.
Others included on the New Years honors list include:
niece:
- Singer and DJ Craig David
- Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor
- Retired footballers Jimmy Greaves and Ron Flowers
OBE:
- Former EastEnders actress Nina Wadia
- Line of Duty Writer and Producer Jed Mercurio
- Actor Toby Jones
CBE:
- Oscar nominee and actress Lesley Manville
Gentlement Tittle:
- Two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins
- Former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox QC
Damehood:
- Makeup Artist Pat McGrath
- Angela Eagle, Wallasey’s longtime MP in Merseyside
- Actress Sheila Hancock
Hamilton, 35, has been in the news recently after saying that his success over the past year had been inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
He knelt at the grill and used anti-racism slogans during motorsports season.
The honors system has been criticized for being too tied to the UK’s colonial past, with titles tied to the Order of the British Empire.
In 2019, George The Poet revealed that he had turned down an MBE due to the “sheer evil” of the British Empire and “the colonial trauma inflicted on the children of Africa.”
A similar sentiment was expressed by the poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who rejected an OBE in 2003, saying it was “deeply anti-empire.”
Director Ken Loach turned down an OBE in 1977, saying the British Empire “is a monument of exploitation and conquest” and Liverpool’s first black footballer, Howard Gayle, turned down an MBE in 2016 saying his ancestors “would turn around. in their graves after how the empire and colonialism had enslaved them. “
But the head of the Cabinet Office Honors Secretary has said that despite efforts to make the list more inclusive, the reference to ’empire’ will remain.
Helen Ewen said: “There are currently no plans to make changes in this area; today you have seen that we have again seen a growth in the number of people from black and ethnic minority communities on this list, which we very much welcome.”
This year’s list is the most diverse to date, with 14.2% of honorees coming from black or minority ethnic backgrounds, while 6.9% have a disability and 4% identify as LGBTQ.
Also on the honor roll is Kim Leadbeater, sister of slain MP Jo Cox, who has been recognized for her work in fighting social isolation.
She said: “I would have preferred my sister to be here carrying out the work she started on loneliness and much more, but while this is a sadly bittersweet moment for our family, I know Jo would be extremely proud.”
