Damian Lewis beams as he receives CBE from King Charles for services to drama and charity-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

The Homeland star was given his second royal honour on Wednesday (Picture: PA)

Actor Damian Lewis has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by King Charles III at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

His prolific acting career has spanned massive TV shows including HBO miniseries Band Of Brothers, Showtime espionage series Homeland and period drama Wolf Hall, in which he played Henry VIII.

Last year he (apparently) bowed out of his most recent high-profile role, that of ambitious hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod in Billions, after five series, and he’s now wowing in A Spy Among Friends with Guy Pearce and Anna Maxwell Martin.

The 51-year-old was named in the final Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his services to drama and charity.

The star wore a mid-grey three-piece morning suit for the occasion, a spotted tie and a flash of colour with his purple socks.

He was seen in lively conversation with the King while his award was bestowed upon him, with the pair exchanging a smile.

Damian was made CBE by King Charles (Picture: PA)

Damian added a splash of purple to his outfit (Picture: PA)

The two appeared to enjoy a quick chat after the fact (Picture: PA)

During the coronavirus lockdowns, he and his late wife Helen McCrory co-founded Feed NHS, a fundraiser to give food from high street restaurants to NHS staff and by April 2020 they had raised around £1million for the charity.

News of his honour was previously rumoured, with a friend telling The Sun: ‘This is richly deserved for all the work Damian has done for so many people with so much done with little or no public fanfare.’

Lewis was previously made an OBE in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to drama.

His CBE was for services to drama and charity (Picture: PA)

He and late wife Helen McCrory, pictured here in 2015, fundraised for NHS staff during the pandemic (Picture: Getty)

After receiving the award from Prince William, he joked at the time: ‘It was a bit like being asked to be a prefect, now I have to be extremely responsible.’

His new honour comes after his wife and mother of his two children, acclaimed actress McCrory, died in April 2021 aged 52 following a battle with cancer.

McCrory, known for her work on stage and screen, including playing Narcissa Malfoy in the final three Harry Potter films and appearing as Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders, died at home in London.

Coronation Street legend William Roache, 90, and AstraZeneca’s chief executive Sir Pascal Soriot were also among a number of people recognised at the ceremony on Wednesday, as well as Countryfile presenter Matt Baker.

Corrie icon William Roache with his OBE (Picture: PA)

Roache holds the world record for the longest-serving TV actor in a continuous role for playing Ken Barlow in Coronation Street and was made an OBE.

French-born Sir Pascal was knighted for services to UK life sciences and the response to Covid-19, after his company developed a vaccine and sent billions of doses around the world.

Meanwhile Baker was awarded MBE for his work for charitable and voluntary services to fundraising.

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His support of the charity Children In Need has involved multiple gruelling cycling challenges over the years, and he has previously raised £2 million for the organisation by cycling a rickshaw from Edinburgh to London.

Director Sir John Boorman, who through his career spanning five decades has been nominated for five Oscars and won the Cannes Best Director award twice, was knighted for services to film, while Paralympic athletes Karen Tonge and Sophie Wells also received honours.

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