Dame Edna is now a Commander of the British Empire

Dame Edna Everage creator Barry Humphries has received his CBE from the Queen, but dispensed with his alter ego's gigantic glasses and purple wig for the appointment at Buckingham Palace. Dressed in a smart top hat and tails, Barry remarked afterwards: "This is the highlight - the first of many." In 2002, Dame Edna took to the stage for the Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Palace where she famously introduced the Queen with the words: "The Jubilee Girl is here, possums." But Barry refrained from using the same greeting when meeting the monarch this time. "Dame Edna is bolder and less politically correct than me. I think people liked it when she called the Queen the Jubilee Girl. It caught on," he said. Questioned on whether he had Dame Edna's flamboyant spectacles tucked away in his jacket pocket, he replied: "I don't. They wouldn't fit." He's also well known for his other curious character, Australian 'cultural attache' Sir Les Patterson. But there was also no sign of Sir Les's stained suit and gruesome teeth. Barry added: "Les wasn't mentioned either. He's already a knight but I'm not certain it's legal." The star said of Wednesday's ceremony: "It felt extraordinary. I had my back to the audience. It felt very unnatural. It was a little disconcerting. "Someone else who was getting a CBE said I suppose this is the end of the road. I thought perhaps I should ask the Queen if she had any future plans for me, but I forgot."

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