King Charles appoints actor Helen Mirren to a select group in his birthday honours list

Helen Mirren arrives at the Golden Globes Golden Eve on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

LONDON — Helen Mirren, one of the world’s most acclaimed actors, was added Friday to a very select group of people recognized by King Charles III for their “major contribution” over the years to British life.

The 80-year-old was named a “Companion of Honour,” one of the highest awards the King can bestow to citizens in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth, limited to only 65 people at any time.

Mirren’s elevation to the group, which also includes British environmentalist David Attenborough, Canadian author Margaret Atwood and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, was one of the highlights of Charles’ latest award of honours.

The honours, which aim to reward individuals for their contributions to British life, are awarded twice a year to celebrities and public figures as well as ordinary people, once at New Year’s, and then in June, to mark the King’s birthday.

Nearly 1,200 people received honours in the King’s 2026 birthday list,

The award recognizes Mirren’s services to drama

Mirren is no stranger to awards and has for decades been a star on stage and screen, as well as a powerful advocate for female actors.

She has tackled numerous classical parts in theatre — both in the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company from the 1960s — before winning roles in movies such as “The Long Good Friday,” “Excalibur,” and “The Madness of King George.”

She also wowed British television audiences with her portrayal of Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison over seven seasons of “Prime Suspect.”

At the Oscars in 2007, she won best actress for her performance in “The Queen,” a film that follows the late Queen Elizabeth II in the aftermath of the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The awards recognize an array of achievements

Introduced in 1917 by King George V, the “Companion of Honour” recognizes people who have made “a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government” over an extended time period.

They remain members until they die, when a replacement is then added. A new member will likely be named at the next honours list in the new year following the death Thursday of David Hockney, one of the most popular and critically lauded British artists of the last century.

Others recognized on Friday include British author Julia Donaldson, who last year surpassed Harry Potter writer JK Rowling as U.K.’s all-time top author, with more than 50 million books sold worldwide. She was named a dame, the female equivalent of a knighthood, for services to literature, a title that Mirren herself was awarded in 2003.

“Receiving this honour has been a very happy surprise,” said the 77-year-old author of such books as “The Gruffalo, ” and “The Highway Rat.”

“It’s really gratifying to have children’s books recognized in this way,” she added.

Success in sports was also recognized on Friday, with Kevin Sinfield knighted for his glittering rugby league career and subsequent fundraising exploits to aid research and support families affected by motor neuron disease, a neurological disorder.

The 45-year-old has raised over 11 million pounds (US$15 million) since being inspired by his friend and his teammate Rob Burrow, who died from the disease in 2024.

Golf’s two-time Ryder Cup winning captain Luke Donald was handed the Order of the British Empire. He will attempt to become the first person in Ryder Cup history to lead a team to three consecutive wins against the United States next year in Ireland.

Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning penalty for England’s women’s soccer team in Euro 2025, became member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, along with six other teammates.

Other notable recipients were Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi for services to music and charity nearly a year after the death of the band’s legendary lead singer Ozzy Osbourne. Broadcaster and the former lead singer of Catatonia Cerys Matthews was recognized for her services to music.

The awards are not just for the famous

The array of awards are chosen by civil servants’ committees based on nominations from the government and the public. They are usually given out by the king or a senior royal acting in his place, increasingly at Windsor Castle where Charles largely resides.

The honours don’t just reward people in the public eye.

Debbie Lewis, who set up the bereavement support group COVID-19 Families U.K. after her father died in 2020 of the coronavirus, just four months after her mother’s death.

Lewis first wrote on Facebook that her father had just died and she was on her own, hoping to connect with others going through something similar. Within a week, 40 people had contacted her.

Six years on, there are more than 4,500 people in Lewis’s support network.

“I’m still a little bit in shock,” the 56-year-old said of her honour on Friday. “I know it’s a huge achievement and I’m just a little bit overwhelmed at the moment.”

Pan Pylas, The Associated Press