She was awarded the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her political and charitable services.
London, England: Politician (June 2012)
She was born in London and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland. Her father was a physician, and her mother was a radiologist.
She was influential in securing the 2012 Summer Olympics for London.
She was elected to the House of Commons in 1992, representing Dulwich, London, and holding office until 2015. She became an ally of Tony Blair and was secretary of state for culture, media and sport from 2001 to 2007.