Alan Bates - the former sub-postmaster who successfully campaigned to highlight the Post Office Horizon scandal - has been knighted in the King's Birthday Honours

Alan Bates - the former sub-postmaster who successfully campaigned to highlight the Post Office Horizon scandal - has been knighted in the King's Birthday Honours. He joins three new ladies - actress Imelda Staunton, designer Anya Hindmarch and artist Tracey Emin - at the top of a list that highlights British achievers in a range of fields, as well as hundreds of people from ordinary walks of life. Sporting honors in this year's list include a knighthood for cycling star Mark Cavendish, as well as honors for former international footballers Graeme Souness, Ally McCoist and Karen Carney.

In the entertainment world, there is a Strictly Come Dancing double as professional dancer Amy Dowden and former EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis, winner of the 2021 series, are both named MBEs. There are also honors for author Monica Ali and singer Rebecca Ferguson. The new Sir Alan Bates famously took action after more than 900 Post Office colleagues were prosecuted for stealing because of incorrect accounting information from a computer system he had repeatedly complained about.

He founded a campaign to overturn the convictions and his fight for justice became the subject of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Sir Alan told BBC News he was at the inquiry into the affair when he found out about the honour. Imelda Staunton may be in a position to provide some pointers on royal etiquette of her own when she attends her investiture ceremony, having portrayed the late Queen Elizabeth II in two series of Netflix drama The Crown.

Her other famous roles in an acting career spanning six decades include Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films and the title role in the movie Vera Drake, for which she won a Bafta and was Oscar-nominated. Dame Imelda said of her new honour: "Theatre, film and television are essential to our well-being, stand at the heart of our culture, and are admired throughout the world. I am proud to play my part in this important industry."