Dame Imelda Staunton and Simon Le Bon to receive royal honours at Windsor Castle

Actress Dame Imelda Staunton and singer Simon Le Bon are among those set to receive royal honours at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.

Dame Imelda, who portrayed the late Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix’s hit drama The Crown, will receive her title for her services to drama and charity.

The 68-year-old earned a Bafta TV and Golden Globe nomination for her fictional portrayal of Charles’ mother in seasons five and six of the series.

She is widely known for playing the evil Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films, with her other film credits also including Downton Abbey, Paddington and Nanny McPhee.

Upon receiving her damehood in the King’s Birthday Honours in June, Dame Imelda said: “I feel genuinely humbled to be recognised on the same level as the amazing actresses, all the great Dames, who have led the way for so many of us.

“It is their talent, dedication, wit and energy that have paved the way for us all and have set the standards to which we all aspire.”

She added she was “proud” to play her part in the industry as “theatre, film and television are essential to our wellbeing, stand at the heart of our culture and are admired throughout the world”.

Dame Imelda’s charity work has included being an ambassador for national homelessness charity Crisis and supporting the international disaster relief charity ShelterBox.

Duran Duran frontman Le Bon will be made an MBE for his services to music and charity.

The musician dropped out of university to perform with the group, who became synonymous with the New Romantic scene, after a successful audition in the 1980s.

Duran Duran, whose hit songs include Rio and Hungry Like The Wolf, had a number one album in the UK charts with Seven And The Ragged Tiger in 1983 and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Le Bon said he was “truly beyond thrilled and surprised” in his initial reaction to the royal honour.

He said: “These last few years have been some of the most important in Duran Duran’s career, and this is a bright but humbling highlight as our journey continues.

“It is fitting that the honour has been awarded not just for my role in music, but also for the work I’ve been fortunate to be involved with outside the band for some of the causes I believe in.”

Le Bon has worked as an ambassador for the Blue Marine Foundation, which works to provide awareness on ways people can come together to save the oceans, and for the Tall Ships Youth Trust which runs seafaring trips for disadvantaged young people across the UK.

Singer-songwriter Rebecca Ferguson and ex-footballer Graeme Souness will also be recognised at the investiture ceremony.

Ferguson, 38, finished runner-up on The X Factor in 2010 behind winner Matt Cardle and ahead of One Direction.

She will be made an MBE for her services to the music industry having turned towards activism in recent years, including campaigning for the introduction of the new regulatory body for the sector that ensures artist welfare.

The performer had a meeting with then-culture secretary Oliver Dowden in 2021 to discuss discrimination in the music industry, and called on media watchdog Ofcom to conduct an investigation into reality TV shows last year.

Souness, both a player and manager at Rangers and Liverpool, will be made a CBE for his services to football and charity.

The Scot represented his country at three World Cups and won five league titles and three European Cups with the Reds before later spending time as a pundit.

He is the vice president of Debra UK which raises awareness of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a group of genetic skin conditions that cause the skin to blister and tear at the slightest touch.

Souness helped to raise £1.5 million for the charity when he joined a swimming challenge across the English Channel last year.