The Guardian.co. uk , Friday 30 October 2009 14.12 GMT
Arise, Sir Dracula: prince of knights - aka Counts Dracula and Dooku, Scaramanga and Saruman. Knighted for servicess to drama and charity.
Finding oneself opposite a tall, baleful celluloid vampire would have most people reaching for a head of the most pungent Spanish garlic, a large crucifix or a sharp stake.
The Prince of Wales, however, opted for a ceremonial sword, even as the 1.95-metre (6ft 5ins) vision of Count Dracula leaned worryingly close to the royal neck.
Fortunately, the prince had little to fear. Christopher Lee ?? aka Counts Dracula and Dooku, not to mention Lord Summerisle and the Duc de Richleau ? had been invited to Buckingham Palace today to receive a knighthood for his services to drama and to charity.
The 87-year-old is one of cinema's most prolific actors, appearing in more than 250 films over the course of a career that has so far spanned 61 years.
After making his name by poking blood-red contact lenses into his eyes and false fangs into his gums for a series of Hammer Horror films, Lee went on to play the urbane laird of the pagan manor in The Wicker Man and the bounteously nippled, bling-packing assassin Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man With the Golden Gun.
More recently, the actor has lent his imposing frame and limpid tones to the roles of the evil Middle Earth wizard Saruman in the Lord of the Rings, and the evil space wizard Count Dooku in the final two Star Wars films.
Lee, whose mother was an Italian countess, will next be seen in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, in which he plays neither a vampire nor a wizard but the Jabberwock.
Christopher Lee Knighted
BBC Online 6/13/09
Veteran horror actor Lee knighted
Actor Christopher Lee, best known for playing Count Dracula and starring in Lord Of The Rings, has been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
The 87-year-old was included on the list alongside former poet laureate Andrew Motion, who is also knighted.
Actors Jonathan Pryce and Lindsay Duncan become CBEs, along with fashion designer Jeff Banks and Delia Smith.
Royle Family actress Sue Johnston, actor Alan Cumming and Fat Friends writer Kay Mellor become OBEs.
“ I feel very touched and gratified because these things are quite seldom given to poets, compared to other sections of the arts community ”
Poet Andrew Motion
London-born Lee, who made his name in the Hammer Horror movies in the 1950s, is one of the most prolific actors of all time, appearing in more than 250 film and TV productions.
Other notable roles include as Lord Summerisle in 1973's The Wicker Man and as Francisco Scaramanga in 1974 Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun.
A representative for Lee - who was previously appointed CBE - said he was unavailable for comment because he was filming in New Mexico.
'Fashion coup'
Motion, 56, who stepped down as laureate last month, said: "I feel very touched and gratified because these things are quite seldom given to poets, compared to other sections of the arts community."
“ It's good for the fashion industry, which does not get many awards like this. It's really lovely that we should get recognised ”
Jeff Banks
Banks, meanwhile, said he thought his turn would "never come".
The former Clothes Show presenter, 66, said: "I really thought I'd done something wrong because I've never got an award.
"I thought I'd been naughty in a past life and that my turn would never come.
"It's good for the fashion industry, which does not get many awards like this. It's really lovely that we should get recognised."
TV cook Delia Smith said she thought her CBE was in recognition of "writing recipes for 40 years".
“ I am only sorry that my parents are not here as they would have been so proud ”
Actress Sue Johnston
"It's difficult for me because what I do - I write recipes and demonstrate them on TV - feels just like regular, everyday work.
"It doesn't feel like it deserves any special honour."
Former Brookside actress Johnston, best known for playing Barbara Royle, said she was "delighted and honoured" at becoming OBE.
"I am only sorry that my parents are not here as they would have been so proud," she added.
Actress Anna Wing, 94, who played Lou Beale in BBC soap EastEnders, said becoming MBE was "the icing on the cake".
"As a child I used to cling to the railings of Buckingham Palace never thinking that one day I would be decorated by the Queen."
Graham Vick, artistic director of the Birmingham Opera Company, becomes CBE, while writers Peter Dickinson and Elaine Morgan are appointed OBE.
Actor James Bolam, 70, best known for 1960s TV hit The Likely Lads, is appointed MBE, as is singer Joe Brown, 68, who received the outstanding contribution to music Mojo award on Thursday.
Veteran horror actor Lee knighted
Actor Christopher Lee, best known for playing Count Dracula and starring in Lord Of The Rings, has been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
The 87-year-old was included on the list alongside former poet laureate Andrew Motion, who is also knighted.
Actors Jonathan Pryce and Lindsay Duncan become CBEs, along with fashion designer Jeff Banks and Delia Smith.
Royle Family actress Sue Johnston, actor Alan Cumming and Fat Friends writer Kay Mellor become OBEs.
“ I feel very touched and gratified because these things are quite seldom given to poets, compared to other sections of the arts community ”
Poet Andrew Motion
London-born Lee, who made his name in the Hammer Horror movies in the 1950s, is one of the most prolific actors of all time, appearing in more than 250 film and TV productions.
Other notable roles include as Lord Summerisle in 1973's The Wicker Man and as Francisco Scaramanga in 1974 Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun.
A representative for Lee - who was previously appointed CBE - said he was unavailable for comment because he was filming in New Mexico.
'Fashion coup'
Motion, 56, who stepped down as laureate last month, said: "I feel very touched and gratified because these things are quite seldom given to poets, compared to other sections of the arts community."
“ It's good for the fashion industry, which does not get many awards like this. It's really lovely that we should get recognised ”
Jeff Banks
Banks, meanwhile, said he thought his turn would "never come".
The former Clothes Show presenter, 66, said: "I really thought I'd done something wrong because I've never got an award.
"I thought I'd been naughty in a past life and that my turn would never come.
"It's good for the fashion industry, which does not get many awards like this. It's really lovely that we should get recognised."
TV cook Delia Smith said she thought her CBE was in recognition of "writing recipes for 40 years".
“ I am only sorry that my parents are not here as they would have been so proud ”
Actress Sue Johnston
"It's difficult for me because what I do - I write recipes and demonstrate them on TV - feels just like regular, everyday work.
"It doesn't feel like it deserves any special honour."
Former Brookside actress Johnston, best known for playing Barbara Royle, said she was "delighted and honoured" at becoming OBE.
"I am only sorry that my parents are not here as they would have been so proud," she added.
Actress Anna Wing, 94, who played Lou Beale in BBC soap EastEnders, said becoming MBE was "the icing on the cake".
"As a child I used to cling to the railings of Buckingham Palace never thinking that one day I would be decorated by the Queen."
Graham Vick, artistic director of the Birmingham Opera Company, becomes CBE, while writers Peter Dickinson and Elaine Morgan are appointed OBE.
Actor James Bolam, 70, best known for 1960s TV hit The Likely Lads, is appointed MBE, as is singer Joe Brown, 68, who received the outstanding contribution to music Mojo award on Thursday.