Royally deserved: Happy Valley’s Sarah Lancashire receives special honour from Princess Anne, in all-pink

While we might be used to seeing Sarah Lancashire in a police uniform, chasing down the bad guys of Happy Valley, she was in a very different look as she arrived at Windsor Castle on Tuesday (22 July). The star arrived at the royal residence wearing a stunning head-to-toe pink ensemble, to collect a very special honour from the Royal Family.

Sarah was awarded a CBE for her services to drama by Princess Anne during an official ceremony, and was photographed outside the castle with her medal. Her husband, Peter Salmon, joined her on the day, and was present inside the room to proudly see her receive the medal from The Princess Royal.

This isn't Sarah's first trip to the palace to receive a royal honour, as she was presented with an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2017. Her OBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) is an even higher honour.

Sarah Lancashire has a long career of stellar roles behind her, rising to fame on Coronation Street before making the transition from soaps to dramas. Last Tango in Halifax, Kiri, Happy Valley (of course) and the film Julia all followed, earning her numerous awards in the process.

While Sarah isn't usually one for red carpets appearances and public-facing events, she was spotted at Wimbledon earlier this month. Sarah was photographed in the stands getting in on all the action of The Championships at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club on 1 July.

She attended with her husband, Peter, and wore a cream dress with delicate floral embroidery. She was sat along the row from Hollywood star Russell Crowe to watch the tennis.