April Ashley, one of the first people in the world to undergo pioneering gender reassignment surgery, is to receive an honorary degree from the University of Liverpool this week.
Born in Liverpool in 1935, April Ashley MBE is a former Vogue model, actress and restaurateur who became one of the most famous transgender people in the world.
She was instrumental in lobbying the government to pass the Gender Recognition Act in 2004 and in 2012 she was appointed an MBE for services to transgender equality.
An exhibition of her life April Ashley: Portrait of a Lady held at the Museum of Liverpool attracted more than 1.3 million people.
April will receive her honorary degree at a ceremony at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on Wednesday, December 7.