Moss: Another knight of the road

Stewart's accolade follows similar elevation for Steve Redgrave, who was knighted in the New Year's Honours.

Redgrave had carved himself a special place in history when he won his fifth successive Olympic rowing gold in the summer, at the age of 38.

Stewart is not the first sportsman from the motor racing sphere to be knighted.

Stirling Moss, rated by many as the greatest driver never to win the world title, received a knighthood last year for services to the sport.

And one of Stewart's fellow team owners - albeit a much more successful one - Frank Williams , was handed the honour in 1998.

Sir Stanley Matthews became the first footballer to be knighted back in 1965.

The mercurial winger was one of the greatest talents the game has ever seen with his trademark mazy runs that made him almost impossible to tackle.

Between two spells at Stoke City, he spent 14 seasons with Blackpool.

In Lancashire he won an FA Cup winners' medal against Bolton virtually single-handed. It has since been dubbed The Matthews Final.

In 1956 he became the first winner of the European Footballer of the Year award.

Cricket dominates

Of England's 1966 World Cup winning side two players - Bobby Charlton and hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst - were awarded knighthoods, along with manager Alf Ramsey.

Stanley Matthews - first footballer to be knighted

Victorious captain Bobby Moore would surely have joined the group, but sadly the stylish defender died in 1993 before getting the Queen's call.

Football's most recent knight was Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson.

He received the honour last year for his impressive record at Old Trafford.

It has included six Premiership titles in eight years and an unprecedented treble of league, FA Cup and European Cup titles in 1998-99.

Away from football, cricket boasts the largest number of knighthoods - with most of them non-Englishman.

In 1949, Australia's Don Bradman, universally recognised as the greatest batsman of all time, became Sir Donald Bradman.

Boasting an incredible Test average of 99.94, he took on and beat the world's best bowlers.

He was England's tormentor-in-chief throughout the 1930s, prompting the infamous 'Bodyline' tactic.

Henry Cooper poses with his kinighthood from the Queen

West Indian pair Garfield Sobers and Viv Richards were also touched with the famous sword.

New Zealand captain Richard Hadlee is also now Sir Richard.

All-rounder Hadlee unusually collected the accolade when he was still playing.

The late Colin Cowdrey, who died last month, went on to become a Lord after being made Sir Colin in 1992.

Heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper, who famously put down Muhammad Ali at Wembley in 1963, became boxing's first knight last year.

Our 'Enery was eventually beaten twice by Ali, who fought as Cassius Clay in the first of their world title fights.

Cooper cemented his place in the hearts of the British public because of his gutsy displays and gentlemanly manner.

Other sporting knights include horse racing trainer Michael Stoute and four-minute miler Roger Bannister.