“I am extremely humbled to have received this award today and I would like to thank Her Majesty The Queen for bestowing such an honour upon me,” said Fernandes. “More than a personal honour, it will serve as a catalyst to further enhance relations between the UK and Malaysia, particularly in the areas of business, culture and education.

“I receive this award today not on my behalf, but on behalf of all the incredible people I work with, wherever they may be around the world. It is their dedication, passion, enthusiasm and hard work that drives me on every single day and it is also my great honour to have the privilege of working with them.”

In addition to his business and Formula One interests, Fernandes was a key partner in the effort to locate a campus of Britain's prestigious Epsom College in Malaysia. In 2010, the French government made him an Officier of the Legion d’Honneur for his outstanding contributions to the aviation industry and Forbes magazine recently named him their ‘Asia Businessman of the Year 2010’.