From rocker to knight: Queen guitarist Brian May refined

Queen guitarist Brian May is hired by King Charles III. elevated to nobility. The 75-year-old will be knighted and will be called Sir Brian in the future, the palace announced on Saturday evening.

“I see it as a kind of assignment to do what you would expect a knight to do: fight for justice, fight for people who have no voice,” May told the British news agency PA.

It is the first time that King Charles has approved the New Year Honours. True to tradition, the royal family honors numerous people with medals and awards for their social commitment at the turn of the year. This year there are a total of 1,107 people on the honor roll, including several celebrities such as England Women’s European Champion Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead and Ellen White. You will receive medals of merit. National coach Sarina Wiegman receives an honorary prize. As a non-British woman, the Dutch cannot officially get a title.

Also knighted are politicians Julian Knight of the Conservative Party and Chris Bryant of the opposition Labor Party, who had beaten ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson hard. The British ambassadors in Kiev and Moscow, Melinda Simmons and Deborah Bronnert, have been made “ladies”. The title corresponds to the chivalrous «Sir» for men.

At 18 years old, Dara McAnulty is the youngest winner. The Northern Irishman receives a British Empire Medal for his commitment to environmental protection and work with the elderly. The eldest is 100-year-old Peter Davies, who works as a volunteer reader at a primary school and also receives such a medal. (sda/dpa)