Kapoor joins knight club

The artist, 59, who was born in India but has lived in London since the early 1970s, is the man behind the ArcelorMittal Orbit – the 115m high twisted steel tower at the Olympic Park in Stratford.

He said: “I am honoured and humbled to receive this honour and I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have helped me during my career.”

Kapoor, who studied at the Chelsea School of Art and Design, won the Turner Prize in 1991.

His work, often based on geometric sculptures made from materials including stainless steel, granite, limestone and marble, is shown around the world.

He described his Orbit tower as beautiful but “awkward”, adding: “It has its elbows sticking out.”