Felicity Dahl, widow of Roald Dahl, has said she is “amazed and grateful” to be given a damehood in the New Year Honours List.

The 85-year-old, who founded The Roald Dahl Museum And Story Centre and co-founded Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, is recognised for services to philanthropy, literature and young people.

Dame Felicity said: “I am amazed and grateful for this extraordinary honour.

“Being the founder of two charities and helping to keep my late husband’s work alive has been a pleasure.

“Of course, I have been supported by so many wonderful people to achieve this”

Dame Felicity set up the children’s charity in 1991 in memory of her late husband Roald Dahl, who died on November 23 1990 aged 74, and was known for writing books including The BFG, The Witches and Fantastic Mr Fox.

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity works in partnership with the NHS to provide specialist nurses and support for seriously ill children with lifelong conditions.

In 2001, Dame Felicity established the charity The Roald Dahl Museum And Story Centre, a museum and literature centre, based around Dahl’s works, that was set up for educational purposes.

In 2020, a set of stained glass windows were unveiled at a hospital in Birmingham featuring famous characters from Dahl’s books, following a collaboration between Dame Felicity and the illustrator Sir Quentin Blake.

Roald Dahl and Dame Felicity had wed in 1983 when the author was in his late 60s.

They had both been married before and Dame Felicity had three children from a previous marriage while Dahl had five, shared with his first wife, American actress Patricia Neal, whom he wed in 1953.

Since his death, Dame Felicity has been involved in the adaptations of Dahl’s work, and co-produced the film Matilda, released in 1996.