A Well Respected Man: Sir Ray Davies to be knighted for service to arts

The Kinks frontman Sir Ray Davies will be knighted by the Prince of Wales today in recognition for his service to the arts.

Sir Ray, who was the band's lead singer and songwriter, penned classics such as You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset and Sunny Afternoon.

Upon discovering he would be knighted, the 72-year-old said: "Initially I felt a mixture of surprise, humility, joy and a bit embarrassed but after thinking about it, I accept this for my family and fans as well as everyone who has inspired me to write."

The Kinks were formed in 1963 and became one of the era's most influential bands - their influence on acts like Oasis and Blur earned Sir Ray the nickname Godfather of Britpop.

Also being knighted is veteran war photographer Sir Don McCullin.

His career, spanning almost 60 years, saw him covering conflicts in countries including the Congo, Biafra (Nigeria), Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iran, as well as being imprisoned in Uganda by dictator Idi Amin.

The 81-year-old recently said he would work until he "can't press that button anymore", though probably not covering warzones.

"When I was young I was like a greyhound, I could really shift across those battlefields and now I walk across them which is slightly more dangerous," he told the Press Association.

Sports stars will also be recognised during the ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Three members of Team GB's gold medal winning hockey team will be given MBEs - Hannah Macleod, Shona McCallin and Lily Owsley.

Rowers Will Satch and Mohamed Sbihi will also receive MBEs for winning gold medals in last year's Olympics.