Murder, She Wrote actress Angela Lansbury made a Dame in the Queen’s New Year honours list

Penelope Keith led a cast of female stars in the new year’s honours list

Murder, She Wrote actress Angela Lansbury will also be made a dame

Katherine Jenkins, 33, who was honoured for services to music and charity

Murder, She Wrote actress Angela Lansbury has been appointed as a dame in the Queen's New Years Honours list.

She led a cast of female stars in the honours list yesterday, as women outnumbered men for the first time.

The 88-year-old is most famous for her role as Jessica Fletcher in the popular crime show which made her a household name.



Murder, She Wrote actress Angela Lansbury, left, earlier this year, has been appointed as a dame in the Queen's New Years Honours list. Right: Lansbury is most famous for her role as Jessica Fletcher in the popular crime show which made her a household name



She is to be made a Dame for services to drama and to charitable work and philanthropy.



She told the BBC: 'I'm joining a marvellous group of women I greatly admire like Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

'It's a lovely thing to be given that nod of approval by your own country and I really cherish it.'



Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system.

Murder, She Wrote earned the actress international acclaim and 12 Emmy nominations for her role as a Cabot Cove widow and amateur detective with an uncanny knack for solving grisly crimes



It has been a good year for the three-time Oscar nominee - she received an honorary Academy Award during the 5th Annual Governors Awards in November

The honour of knighthood comes from the days of medieval chivalry.

The honours list consists of knights and dames, appointments to the Order of the British Empire and gallantry awards to servicemen and women, and civilians.

The nominations, submitted either by government departments or by members of the public are passed to a committee and then when drawn up given to the Queen through the Prime Minister.



The Queen informally approves the list and letters are sent to each nominee to inform them of the proposal.



Once a nominee accepts the proposed honour, the list is formally approved and published in the official Crown newspaper, the London Gazette, twice a year - at New Year, and in mid-June on the date of the Queen's official birthday.

Murder, She Wrote earned the actress international acclaim and 12 Emmy nominations for her role as a Cabot Cove widow and amateur detective with an uncanny knack for solving grisly crimes.



WHAT DOES ANGELA LANSBURY'S AWARD MEAN IN BRITISH HONOURS SYSTEM?

Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system.

The honour of knighthood comes from the days of medieval chivalry.

The honours list consists of knights and dames, appointments to the Order of the British Empire and gallantry awards to servicemen and women, and civilians.

The nominations, submitted either by government departments or by members of the public are passed to a comitte and then when drawn up given to the Queen through the Prime Minister.

The Queen informally approves the list and letters are sent to each nominee. Once a nominee accepts the proposed honour, the list is formally approved.

The honours are published in the official Crown newspaper, the London Gazette, twice a year - at New Year, and in mid-June on the date of the Queen's official birthday.

It has been a good year for the three-time Oscar nominee - she received an honorary Academy Award during the 5th Annual Governors Awards in November.

Last month Lansbury defended the title of the original award-winning CBS drama Murder, She Wrote.



In October, NBC announced that Octavia Spencer will be starring in a contemporary version of the popular series, which ran for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996, and plans to name it Murder, She Wrote.

'I think it's a mistake to call it Murder, She Wrote.'

'Because Murder, She Wrote will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person.



'So I'm sorry that they have to use the title Murder, She Wrote, even though they have access to it and it's their right.'

Lansbury is returning to the London stage in March — after an absence of four decades.



The legendary actress will play dotty medium Madame Arcati in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, reprising a role that won her a Tony award on Broadway four years ago.



‘You could say it’s my last chance,’ she said, before adding swiftly: ‘It isn’t! But you could say that. After all, I am 88 — in my 89th year now. But I’ve got many more years left. I do believe that.’



Angela Lansbury, left in 1985, proudly holds the Golden Globe award presented for the Best Dramatic performance by an Actress in TV series Saturday at the Golden Globe awards. for Murder, She Wrote. Right: Lansbury in 1995 gives the thumbs up Saturday night in Beverly Hills Calif, after winning another Golden Globe for the series



Lansbury, who was born in London and went to South Hampstead School for Girls, comes from a long line of British actors and politicians.

Decades ago she went to Hollywood to make Gaslight — and stayed.



Her most significant successes — films such as The Harvey Girls and The Manchurian Candidate; the five Tony awards on Broadway; and the long-running Murder, She Wrote TV series — were all achieved in America.



Another British female who has also achieved fame in America, Katherine Jenkins, 33, was honoured for services to music and charity.



But there were no honours for Wimbledon winner Andy Murray and footballer David Beckham, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

Following last year’s honours, which recognised Britain’s Olympic heroes, this year’s list was dominated by a record number of female recipients.

Overall, 51 per cent of this year’s honours were given to women, compared with 34 per cent in the 2004 list, 28 per cent in 1994 and just 17 per cent back in 1974.

Katherine Jenkins, 33, was honoured for services to music and charity. But there were no honours for footballer David Beckham, who announced his retirement earlier

























