Colonel Tom Moore, who has raised £33m for NHS charities by completing 100 laps of his garden, will receive a knighthood.
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, recommended Colonel Tom for the honour.
Johnson said: “Colonel Tom’s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus. On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge thank you. He’s a true national treasure.”
The Second World War veteran tweeted a message this morning: “I am absolutely overwhelmed. Never for one moment could I have imagined I would be awarded with such a great honour. I’d like to thank Her Majesty The Queen, the prime minister and the great British public. I will remain at your service.
“This started as something small and I’ve been overwhelmed by the gratitude and love from the British public and beyond.
“We must take this opportunity to recognise our frontline heroes of the National Health Service who put their lives at risk every day to keep us safe.”
1/2 A message from Tom; 'I am absolutely overwhelmed. Never for one moment could I have imagined I would be awarded with such a great honour. I’d like to thank Her Majesty The Queen, the Prime Minister and the Great British public. I will remain at your service…
— Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) May 20, 2020
The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, said: “On behalf of the Labour party, I congratulate Captain Tom Moore on his knighthood. In these difficult times for our country, Tom brought inspiration to millions and helped all of us to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our NHS.
“In his actions, Tom embodied the national solidarity which has grown throughout this crisis, and showed us that everyone can play their part in helping build a better future.”
Colonel Tom, from West Yorkshire, had his 100th birthday marked with a RAF flypast as well as a birthday greeting from the Queen. He was also made an honorary Colonel and is said to have received around 140,000 cards from the public.
Today the Cabinet Office published a form inviting people to nominate others who have contributed to the coronavirus response for an honour.
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