The New Year Honours 2016 are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrations at the start of January. The official list of the 2016 New Year Honours was announced on 31 December which can be found here:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...-the-full-list
The honour for Dame Barbara, 78, best known for playing pub landlady Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders and for her roles in the Carry On films, is for services to charity and entertainment. AP McCoy, the 20-time champion jockey, who won the lifetime achievement award at this month's BBC Sports Personality of the Year, becomes Sir Tony for services to horse racing.
A total of 1,196 people are on the list, with just over three quarters of the recipients people who have undertaken work in their local community. Dame Barbara, 78, who is also an ambassador for Age UK, said she was "proud and extremely humbled". "For a girl from the East End born into a working-class family and an evacuee during World War Two, this is truly like a dream," she said.
