‘My grandfather was massive royalist’ Ed Sheeran cheers Charles – I’ll play for Meghan wed

The award winning celebrity, whose latest album Divided spent more than 15 weeks at the top of the charts, will receive the honour during a Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony.

From sleeping on Jamie Foxx’s sofa as a budding musician to performing to tens of thousands of fans worldwide, the 26-year-old has come a long way since he released his debut album in 2011.

He has notched up three chart topping singles, won a Grammy Award last year and his latest track Perfect – newly re-worked as a duet with Beyonce – is expected to become his next number one this week.

Sheeran has worked with a range of charities including East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, an organisation he supports as an ambassador and has the Duchess of Cambridge as its royal patron.

Ed Sheeran spoke of Harry and Meghan after receiving his MBE and said he would be happy to play the first song at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding reception.

After receiving an MBE for a glittering music career and his charity work, the singer-songwriter said he had not been asked by the prince and his fiancee to perform at the special one-off gig in May.

But when quizzed if he would like to do it, he replied with a grin “yeah, why not”.

Sheeran’s MBE was awarded by the Prince of Wales during a Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony.

The singer-songwriter who has enjoyed phenomenal worldwide success, spoke about his grandfather Bill Sheeran after the ceremony.

He said: “Do you know what I love, my grandfather was a massive royalist, he had all the commemorative plates and stuff, and he died on this day four years ago, so it’s actually quite a nice full circle thing, I guess he’d be pretty proud.”

He has also been named as the biggest star on YouTube in the UK in 2017, topping the site’s most popular video lists for the year.

Also being recognised during the investiture ceremony is comedian Tony Hawks who will be awarded an MBE for his charity work in Moldova where he has opened a children’s centre to help youngsters with chronic conditions.

Sandra Major, the senior caseworker of murdered MP Jo Cox who was with the politician when she was murdered, will be awarded an MBE for parliamentary services and services to the community in Batley and Spen.

Mother-of-two Mrs Cox was shot and stabbed as she arrived for a constituency surgery in Birstall on June 16, last year. She had been elected as Labour MP for the Batley and Spen constituency just 13 months earlier.