Northern Ireland Olympic hero Dame Mary Peters further honoured by the Queen
By Picture Desk
Published 27th Feb 2019, 12:51 BST
Updated 27th Feb 2019, 13:55 BST
Dame Mary, from Northern Ireland, won gold in the pentathlon at the 1972 Olympics and founded sports charity the Mary Peters Trust.
She will become a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter- the oldest and most senior British Order of Chivalry.
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - OCTOBER 08: Dame Mary Peters pictured as she attends the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier between Northern Ireland and San Marino at Windsor Park on October 8, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Each year, Royal Knights and Ladies of the Order of the Garter gather at St George’s Chapel in Windsor for a colourful procession and ceremony.
Watched by crowds of onlookers, they walk down the hill to the chapel from the State Apartments, dressed in blue velvet mantles, red velvet hoods, black velvet hats and white ostrich plumes.
British track and field athletes David Hemery and Mary Peters with trophies awarded by the British Athletics Writers Association, UK, 29th October 1972. (Photo by Steve Wood/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Dame Mary is one of two new appointments announced by the palace.
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, the 7th Marquess of Salisbury, who is former chairman of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, has been made a Knight Companion.
He organised the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames in 2012 to mark the Queen’s 60 years on the throne.
Here we look back at her career and life after the Olympics.
LONDON - APRIL 22: Former Olympian Mary Peters (C) poses with Men's Wheelchair Race winner David Weir of Great Britain and Women's Wheelchair Race winner Shelly Woods of Great Britain following the 2007 Flora London Marathon on April 22, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: Queen Elizabeth II (front C) sits next to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (front CR) during an official photograph with Companions of Honour after a reception in celebration of the centenary of the Order of the Companions of Honour at Hampton Court Palace on June 13, 2017 in London, England. (top row L-R) Reverend Anthony Howe, Reverend Richard Chartres, Evelyn Glennie, Baroness Warnock, Baroness Amos, Harry Woolf, Robert Smith, Baron Smith of Kelvin, George Osborne, Richard Eyre, reverend Paul Wright, Onora O'Neill, The Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve, Lt Col Michael Vernon (middle row L-R) David Young, Baron Young of Graffham, Maggie Smith, Menzies Campbell, Sebastian Coe, Michael Howard, Dan McKenzie, General John De Chastelain, John Major, David Hannay, Baron Hannay of Chiswick, Judi Dench, George Young, Baron Young of Cookham, Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, Mary Peters, Roy Strong, (front L-R) Roger Bannister, Chris Patten, David Attenborough, Janet Baker, Peter Brooke
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 23: The Queen greets past Olympian Dame Mary Peters (1972 Olympic pentathlon gold) at a receoption for past Olympians to mark the Centenary of the British Olympic Association at Buckingham Palace on March 23, 2005 in London, England. (Photo by John Gichigi/Getty Images)
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - MAY 20: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO SALES) In this handout image provided by Glasgow 2014 Ltd, Peter Robinson, Olympic champion Mary Peters, Chris Jenkins, Robert McVeigh and Martin McGuinness hold the Commonwealth Games Baton on the steps of Stormont during the Glasgow 2014 Baton Relay on May 20, 2014 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is nation 67 of 70 nations and territories the Queen's Baton will visit. (Photo by Ben Birchall/Glasgow 2014 Ltd via Getty Images)
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - JUNE 24: Queen Elizabeth II and Dame Mary Peters (L) and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers (2L) depart from City Hall on June 24, 2014 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Royal party are visiting Northern Ireland for three days. (Photo by Brian Lawless - WPA Pool /Getty Images)
