Anthony Joshua and Monty Don among those picking up honours
Anthony Joshua, Monty Don and William Fox-Pitt will receive their honours at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
Boxer Anthony Joshua, TV gardener Monty Don and Olympic equestrian William Fox-Pitt will be presented with honours at Buckingham Palace later.
Joshua, who won an Olympic gold medal at London 2012 and is the current IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight world champion, will receive an OBE for his services to sport.
Broadcaster Don will also receive an OBE recognising for his services to horticulture, broadcasting and charity.
He was the presenter on the BBC Two show Gardeners’ World from 2003 – 2008 and became the show’s lead presenter in 2011.
Don is also vice-president of Farms for City Children, a charity which offers children from urban areas the chance to spend a week in the countryside at a British farm.
Fox-Pitt has represented British eventing for more than 20 years, winning seven team Gold medals at the European Championships.
In October 2015, Fox-Pitt was placed into an induced coma following a bad fall while cross-country eventing but, ten months later, he competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics in dressage, cross-country and showjumping.
Other guests who will be receiving honours at the palace include New Zealand-born Soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who will become a Companion of Honour for her services to music.
Dame Kiri, who was granted a damehood in 1982, is known as one of opera’s most celebrated voices but in 2017, aged 73, she announced she would never sing in public again.
Announcing her retirement the soprano said: “I don’t want to hear my voice.”
Dr Alexander Mustard will be awarded an MBE for his services to underwater photography. Dr Mustard has worked full time as underwater photographer since 2004 with his work winning numerous awards including the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
The service is expected to be conducted by the Prince of Wales.
