The Oscar was right under Benedict Cumberbatch's nose, but at the very last second, Eddie Redmayne took the title of Best Actor and the golden statue with him. However, not all is lost as he is going to be awarded something far more prestigious than what the Academy has to offer.

According to Metro UK, Cumberbatch is set to receive an honor from the Queen, as he was announced to be the recipient of the Commander of the most excellent order of the British Empire. On Saturday, June 13, he will receive the prestigious honor for his service to drama.

While the CBE is among the highest honors anyone could receive since it is just one rank below knighthood, critics are wary of the accolade being given to a relatively young actor with a relatively short career in film, and as The Daily Mail reported, some believe that the award was given to him more for his celebrity status than his actual contribution in film.

Critics are saying that the 38-year-old actor is too young to receive the recognition considering that veteran actors like Sir Anthony Hopkins and Kevin Spacey were in their 50s when awarded with the CBEs, while Sir Michael Caine and Sir John Hurt were in their 60s.

Unlike previous recipients, who are established actors, Cumberbatch hasn't won any major acting awards yet, although he is not a stranger to nominations. Not only did he fail to win an Oscar this year, he failed to secure BAFTAs in several instances as well.

A source for The Sun noted, "Benedict is clearly very talented but a CBE is normally for those coming towards the end of their careers."

Nigel Evans, a member of the Public Administration Select Committee, spoke about the trend of the rise of celebrity status. The Daily Mail quoted him as saying, "This is something which should be seen as for lifetime achievements, not an award because someone's last movie was good."

He also said that by awarding Cumberbatch with such a prestigious title, the British honors system is running the risk of being an alternative Oscars or Grammys, and it should not be intended for that.

Showbusiness agent Tony Fitzpatrick did not mince words and said that Cumberbatch's honor was a "political decision" made purely for his celebrity status. He noted, "In the old days of showbiz, you had to be in the business for decades before you got honoured, now it's to do with the size of your audience. It's about making money. Benedict Cumberbatch is flavour of the month so it's a political coup for whoever awards him the honour."

Cumberbatch nor his representatives have not yet commented on the criticisms.