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.
Download the new Indpendent Premium app
Sharing the full story, not just the headlines
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?"
Control geeks: Meet the brains behind some of the best TV shows
Show all 9
Control geeks: Meet the brains behind some of the best TV shows
1/9 TV showrunners
Steven Moffat is responsible for hit BBC show Sherlock, starring Martin Freeman (left) and Benedict Cumberbatch
BBC
2/9 TV showrunners
Steven Moffat is also known for Coupling and Doctor Who. He says: 'I'm slightly embarrassed by the term showrunner, it seems slightly power mad.'
Rex Features
3/9 TV showrunners
Emma Frost has worked on Shameless, The White Queen and Jamaica Inn: "There are conversations taking place over here about ‘What are showrunners?’; but you go to LA and the writer is king and queen over there."
Getty Images
4/9 TV showrunners
Emma Frost was responsible for the BBC's recent period drama Jamaica Inn based on Daphne du Maurier's novel
BBC
5/9 TV showrunners
Jack Thorne is known for Skins, This is England '86 and The Fades. He says: "I’m trying to be a showrunner, but I don’t think I’m doing it quite right yet. It’s about trusting that your judgement is the most important judgement there is on the show."
Getty Images
6/9 TV showrunners
Jack Thorne was the visionary force behind Channel 4 drama Skins
Channel 4
7/9 TV showrunners
On Line of Duty, Jed Mercurio took a deep interest in the technical aspects of filming
BBC2
8/9 TV showrunners
Toby Whithouse is known for No Angels and Being Human. He says: "It wasn't until Being Human that I became a showrunner, and I'm incredibly relieved it didn't happen before then."
Getty Images
9/9 TV showrunners
Toby Whithouse became a showrunner on BBC3's Being Human in which a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost shared a house
BBC3
1/9 TV showrunners
Steven Moffat is responsible for hit BBC show Sherlock, starring Martin Freeman (left) and Benedict Cumberbatch
BBC
2/9 TV showrunners
Steven Moffat is also known for Coupling and Doctor Who. He says: 'I'm slightly embarrassed by the term showrunner, it seems slightly power mad.'
Rex Features
3/9 TV showrunners
Emma Frost has worked on Shameless, The White Queen and Jamaica Inn: "There are conversations taking place over here about ‘What are showrunners?’; but you go to LA and the writer is king and queen over there."
Getty Images
4/9 TV showrunners
Emma Frost was responsible for the BBC's recent period drama Jamaica Inn based on Daphne du Maurier's novel
BBC
5/9 TV showrunners
Jack Thorne is known for Skins, This is England '86 and The Fades. He says: "I’m trying to be a showrunner, but I don’t think I’m doing it quite right yet. It’s about trusting that your judgement is the most important judgement there is on the show."
Getty Images
6/9 TV showrunners
Jack Thorne was the visionary force behind Channel 4 drama Skins
Channel 4
7/9 TV showrunners
On Line of Duty, Jed Mercurio took a deep interest in the technical aspects of filming
BBC2
8/9 TV showrunners
Toby Whithouse is known for No Angels and Being Human. He says: "It wasn't until Being Human that I became a showrunner, and I'm incredibly relieved it didn't happen before then."
Getty Images
9/9 TV showrunners
Toby Whithouse became a showrunner on BBC3's Being Human in which a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost shared a house
BBC3
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.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to debate the big issues
Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium.
It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss
real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when
they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects
will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies
to your comment.
The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to
Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post
the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please
continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates.
Comments
Share your thoughts and debate the big issues
Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.
- -1) ? 'active' : ''">
Newest first
- -1) ? 'active' : ''">
Oldest first
- -1) ? 'active' : ''">
Most liked
{{/moreThanOne}}Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines.
You can find our Community Guidelines in full here.
- -1) ? 'active' : ''">
Newest first
- -1) ? 'active' : ''">
Oldest first
- -1) ? 'active' : ''">
Most liked
{{/moreThanOne_p}}Follow comments
Vote
Report Comment
Subscribe to Independent Premium to debate the big issues
Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Already registered? Log inReport Comment
Delete Comment
About The Independent commenting
Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment.
The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates.