The former neurologist has received one of the Queen's highest awards for services to sport.

Sir Roger broke the four-minute mile barrier on May 6, 1954 at Oxford’s Iffley Road athletics track, which has since been renamed after him.

He was helped in achieving his time of 3 mins 59.4sec by pacemakers Chris Brasher, the co-founder of the London Marathon in 1981, who died in 2003 aged 74, and Christopher Chataway, who died in January 2014 aged 82.

Now 87 years of age, Sir Roger said he was thrilled to become one of just 54 living people to be made a Companion of Honour.

"I have always been astonishingly lucky in my career, which has encompassed both sport and neurology," he told The Oxford Times.

"I never anticipated or predicted or wished particularly for a further honour but I am delighted to receive this."

Bannister revealed in May 2014 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder, three years earlier.

He believes being made a Companion of Honour was also recognition of his 40 years as a neurologist, including his significant contribution to the field of autonomic failure.

"The recognition is a very timely one because I wrote an autobiography called Twin Tracks which has focused on the comparison of the two fields," he told The Oxford Times.

"I would hope that my colleagues with whom I worked in hospitals for 25 years will appreciate the honour, as well as those who were in the world of running."

Sir Roger was the first chairman of the Sports Council, now known as Sport England, which provides services and funding to sport in England.

He was knighted for this service in 1975.

Under his aegis, Central and Local Government funding of sports centres and other sports facilities was rapidly increased, and he also initiated the first testing for use of anabolic steroids in sport.