An Oxford scientist collected her damehood for helping to create the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, credited with saving millions of lives around the world.

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert received the honour for services to science and public health in Covid vaccine development at a ceremony at Windsor Castle on this morning.

The professor of vaccinology at Oxford University co-created the jab which has been used by more than 2.5 billion people in more than 170 countries.

READ MORE: Dame Sarah Gilbert says next pandemic could be more lethal than Covid

She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire by the Princess Royal.

‘Dame Commander’ is the second highest class in The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire hierarchy. The male equivalent to Professor Gilbert’s honour is ‘Knight Commander’.

The 59-year-old has previously received massive praise for her work, including being given an impromptu standing ovation from the crowd at Wimbledon when she attended the tournament last summer.

In September 2021, a gentoo penguin chick at Sea Life London Aquarium was named Gilbert – after the scientist.

The mother of triplets was also honoured by toymaker Mattel which launched a Barbie doll in her image.

Professor Gilbert was not the only person there to receive honours.

Classical pianist Dame Imogen Cooper also received her damehood for services to music.

Dame Imogen was a recipient of the Queen’s Medal for Music in recognition of her major influence on the musical life of the nation. Through her Imogen Cooper Music Trust, she also gives scholarships to promising young musicians.

Conductor Daniel Harding and pianist and composer Eleanor Alberga are also collected their honours.

Artist Michael Landy, of the Young British Artists movement, received a CBE for services to art.

Mr Landy is best known for Break Down, a piece of performance art in which he systematically destroyed all his belongings, and for Art Bin, in Camberwell, south London, where people could bring their artistic failures for assessment by Mr Landy and which were dumped in a vast skip if he deemed the pieces were not worth saving.

Sculptor Veronica Ryan was given an OBE for services to art.

Ms Ryan’s work is exhibited in the Tate and she was commissioned by Hackney Council to make a public sculpture to celebrate the Windrush generation, unveiled in a Hackney street in October.

Motorcycle racer John McGuinness, who is hoping to win his 24th TT race in the Isle of Man in the summer, collected his MBE for services to motorcycle racing.

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