Wiltshire explorer David Hempleman-Adams has been honoured by the Queen for his three decades of polar expeditions.

The Box-based adventurer, who was the first person to complete The Explorer’s Grand Slam of conquering the North and South Poles and the highest peaks on all seven continents, has been awarded the Polar Medal for services to the UK in the field of polar research.

The father-of-three has visited the poles 30 times over the last 30 years, and has spent more than two-and-a-half years under canvas in sub-zero conditions.

His nomination states he has received the honour “in recognition of his outstanding work, contributing as he has to the knowledge of the Polar Regions and the dissemination of that knowledge to the wider public in the United Kingdom".

He was informed of the news whilst sailing across the Atlantic. He said: “I am very humbled and delighted to receive such a prestigious award but, to be quite honest, my wife should be getting it not me.

“She has brought up our three daughters while I have been off enjoying myself.”

His daughters have each taken part in Polar Expeditions. Alicia is still the youngest person, at the age of eight, to go to the North Pole; Camilla was the youngest person to ski to the North Pole, aged 15, and Amelia became the youngest person to ski to the South Pole, aged 16.

He has carried out several research studies including research in to the performance of adhesive and encapsulation products in the Polar Regions and medical research in to patterns of behaviour before and after exposure to prolonged periods in Polar Regions.

He also contributed to the work done by the Canadian Geomagnetic survey in order to better understand the accelerating movement of the North Magnetic Pole.