Benedict Cumberbatch 'to receive CBE' despite relatively short career

The highly acclaimed actor is being tipped for the honour at the age of 38

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch was a pupil at £34,590 a-year Harrow public school (Getty) (Getty Images)

Benedict Cumberbatch is to be named Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours list, according to reports.

Cumberbatch, who starred as Alan Turing in Oscar-nominated film The Imitation Game, is going to be awarded a CBE in the honours list released on Saturday, according to The Sun.

The paper reports that actor's honour has upset "insiders". Despite his acclaimed performances, some have apparently questioned whether 38-year-old Cumberbatch's career is advanced enough for the title.

Around half of the people nominated for the prestigious title are aged 60-80.

Lenny Henry, 56, has made the unusual move of confirming that he is set to receive a knighthood on the same honours list ahead of the official announcement. The comedian, who co-founded charity Comic Relief, said: "I'm being pummelled from all sides by my family, saying: 'Do we get some land? Do we get a castle now?"

Cumberbatch missed out on the Best Actor Academy Award to friend Eddie Redmayne, who played Stephen Hawking in The Theory Of Everything.

He recently petitioned the royal family for all gay men convicted for their sexuality to receive a royal pardon.

Enigma codebreaker Turing was found guilty of unlawful homosexual activity and was chemically castrated. After his death, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.

In February, the actor signed an open letter calling for some 49,000 other men similarly convicted under the old law to have the same posthumous treatment as Turing.

However, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge rejected Cumberbatch's plea to support the campaign, with a spokesperson saying that it was a matter for government, so they could make no comment.

Cumberbatch was best known for relatively small roles in films and television programmes until recently. He shot to fame after roles in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Sherlock Holmes.