He added that the Queen had shown a genuine interest in the work of the foundation, possibly because her father, King George V, died of lung cancer himself.
“The Queen was absolutely lovely,” Prof Donnelly said.
“It was wonderful to have the opportunity to tell her about the foundation.”
Dr Rosemary Gillespie, chief executive of The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, paid tribute to her colleague and said: “I am delighted that Prof Donnelly has been given this prestigious award in recognition of his lifetime devotion to others, both as a surgeon in Merseyside and in founding The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
“The award is a great honour and is very well deserved.”
Other Merseysiders who made the honours list included restaurateur Paul Heathcote, actress Sue Johnston, and Prof Mark Bellis, the director of the John Moores University Centre for Public Health.
