King set to knight Archbishop of Canterbury in New Year Honours, according to reports

The King is set to knight the Archbishop of Canterbury in the upcoming New Year Honours list, according to reports.

The Daily Mail newspaper said Justin Welby will be admitted to the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) for his “personal service” to the Crown.

Awards under the RVO are in the King’s gift and are bestowed independently of Downing Street to people who have served the monarch or the royal family in a personal way.

The Archbishop was tasked with conducting the service for the King’s coronation and had the momentous task of anointing and crowning Charles and Camilla.

In behind-the-scenes footage for a new BBC documentary, the King can be seen laughing and shaking his head when Mr Welby forgets the words to part of the liturgy – the prayers and actions of the coronation service – in a second rehearsal clip filmed at Westminster Abbey.

The Archbishop confesses to the camera in an interview: “I have a memory that is probably about as good as our spaniel’s – in other words, zero.”

Mr Welby previously went head-to-head with the Government after condemning its plans to tackle the small boats crisis as “morally unacceptable and politically impractical”.

He recently said he was in “profound mourning” after an air strike on the al Ahli hospital in Gaza.

The Daily Mail said Mr Welby will receive the honour after being the first Archbishop of Canterbury to conduct a coronation since Geoffrey Fisher, who received the same honour following the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Lambeth Palace declined to comment. Buckingham Palace have been contacted for comment.

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