Alistair Hardaker | The Princess of Wales visits V&A East Storehouse with Dr Tristram Hunt (David Parry for the V&A)
The Director General of the National Trust and the Director of the National Science and Media Museum also receive honours
The Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is among the latest recipients of the King’s New Year’s Honours, receiving a knighthood.
Dr Tristram Hunt has been Director of the V&A since February 2017. He was previously a Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central from 2010 to 2017, and is a historian and broadcaster.
Also receiving a knighthood in 2026 is Professor Simon Milne MBE, Regius Keeper and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, for services to botany, conservation and horticulture.
Museums
Receiving an OBE are Joanne Quinton-Tulloch, Director of the National Science and Media Museum, for services to the arts, and Ekow Eshun, lately Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, writer and curator, for services to the arts.
Receiving an MBE are Dr Alan Borthwick, Head of Medieval and Private Records at National Records of Scotland, for services to historical document recovery; Dr David Brown, volunteer and lately Archivist at National Records of Scotland, for services to historical document recovery; Peter Boyd-Smith, maritime historian, for services to British maritime history and to the community in Southampton; Brian Buchan DL, lately Chair of the Finance Committee at The Story Museum and Chair of OXSRAD, for services to charity and to the community in Oxfordshire, and Bernard Morgan, volunteer at the Imperial War Museum, for services to volunteering and to history.
Receiving a BEM (British Empire Medal) are Leonie Biggenden, Learning Volunteer at the Natural History Museum, for services to heritage and Alun Clements, volunteer at Imperial War Museum Duxford, for voluntary service.
Heritage professionals
Receiving a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) is Hilary McGrady, Director General of the National Trust, for services to heritage.
Receiving an OBE are Dr Janet Blake, academic and cultural heritage expert, for services to intangible cultural heritage and to cultural heritage law; The Reverend Professor Dee Dyas, Emeritus Professor in History and Director, Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture, University of York, for services to theology and to heritage, and David McDonald, Chair of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, for services to the historic built environment and to charity.
Receiving an MBE are Susan Bowers, Director of The Pilgrim Trust, for services to heritage; Tracey Dix-Williams, lately Chief Executive Officer of Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust, for services to heritage; Laura Drysdale, Founder of The Restoration Trust, for services to heritage and mental health; Jocelyn Finnigan, for services to heritage and to charity in Herefordshire; Frances Gunn DL, Chair of the Flow Country World Heritage Site Steering Group, for services to heritage and the community in Sutherland; Paul Higson, project manager and volunteer, for services to the built heritage of Scotland; Rokia Khair, for services to heritage and to charity in Derbyshire; Michael Mail, Founder and Chief Executive of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage, for services to heritage and to charity; Barry Mead, Trustee of Cresswell Pele Tower and Director of Newbiggin Heritage Partnership, for services to heritage, and Annabel Westman, for services to heritage, in particular to the Attingham Trust and to historic textiles.
Receiving a BEM (British Empire Medal) are Francis Chamberlain, Director and Project Coordinator of Brierley Hill High Street Heritage Action Zone, for services to heritage and to the community in Brierley Hill, West Midlands; Catherine Collins, Heritage Specialist Cleaning Team Leader at the House of Lords, for services to Parliament; Deborah Compton, Heritage Cleaning Operative at the House of Commons, for services to Parliament; Jonathan McNee, Senior Marine Officer at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland), for voluntary service to military aviation archaeology in Northern Ireland, and Geoffrey Wellens, for services to heritage and to the community in Middleton, Greater Manchester.
