Sir Geoffrey Boycott to be knighted at Buckingham Palace

Former England and Yorkshire cricket captain Sir Geoffrey Boycott is due to receive his knighthood despite criticism of the decision to bestow an honour on someone with a domestic abuse conviction.

The 79-year-old has been recognised for services to sport and will be honoured at Buckingham Palace on Friday alongside others including singer Elvis Costello and Jack Reacher author Lee Child.

News of Sir Geoffrey’s knighthood was met with both congratulations and condemnation when Theresa May’s resignation honours list was revealed last year.

The former Test opener was convicted in France in 1998 of beating his then girlfriend Margaret Moore in a French Riviera hotel, and domestic abuse charities expressed their disapproval of the honour.

But Sir Geoffrey, who has always denied the assault despite the conviction, batted away the criticism, saying when challenged about it last year that he “couldn’t give a toss”.

Crime writer Child, whose real name is James “Jim” Grant and who had his literary action hero brought to life on the big screen by Tom Cruise, will be made a CBE for services to literature.

Costello, who was born Declan MacManus, will be made an OBE for services to music.

He is being honoured after a five decades-long career which has seen him inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and ranked by Rolling Stone as being among the 100 greatest artists of all time.

Also set to be recognised is a climber who died shielding his wife from falling rocks.

Andrew Foster’s Queen’s Gallantry Medal is due to be collected by his widow Lucy.

The couple had been walking in Yosemite National Park, California, in 2017 when they were caught in a 1,000 tonne rockfall.

As boulders reportedly the size of cars fell, Mrs Foster lost her footing and her husband lay on top of her to protect her.

Mr Foster’s injuries proved fatal but his wife was rescued from the mountainside and made a full recovery.