Brits Celebrate Queen's Birthday

Annual Pageantry Includes Unveiling Of Royal Honors

(AP) 
Others on the diverse list of the honored included the chief rabbi, a leading television actor, and a woman who advises rail passengers.

May, guitarist with rock group Queen, was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, for services to the music industry. He played a prominent role three years ago in celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the queen's coronation, playing "God Save the Queen" from the roof of Buckingham Palace.

Page, a founding member of Led Zeppelin, was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, for services to disadvantaged children in Brazil.

John Mayall, known as the father of British blues, and his fellow musician Midge Ure, who has worked with Bob Geldof on the Live Aid and Live 8 campaigns to reduce poverty, also received OBEs.

Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench, who has played everybody from Queen Victoria to James Bond's boss, M, was made a Companion of Honor — a select group limited to 65 persons at any one time.

Actor David Jason, who played a police detective in "Frost," and a fast-talking trader in the British sitcom "Only Fools and Horses," was knighted, as was Rod Eddington, outgoing chief executive of British Airways.

There were also knighthoods for Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Iqbal Sacranie, secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, and Hugh Orde, since May 2002 the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Of the 894 names on the list, more than 500 — some 60 percent — are involved in voluntary work of some kind, according to Prime Minister Tony Blair's office, which draws up the list for the monarch to approve.

There were CBEs for Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, co-chairmen of Working Title Films, the successful British film company that has produced such movies as "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones's Diary."

Award-winning novelist William Boyd received a similar honor.

Frank Gardner, the British Broadcasting Corp. security correspondent who was paralyzed in an attack by militants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, received a similar award. His cameraman, Simon Cumbers, was killed in the attack.