UK Edition
Actress Julie Walters has said winning Baftas and being nominated for Oscars could not compare to the honour of being made a dame.
The Billy Elliot star, 67, was named Dame Commander of the British Empire by the Queen in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
The honour came almost 35 years after her breakout role in Educating Rita, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award.
Dame Julie said: "It was so numbing.
"The Queen said, 'It's so marvellous that you've got this, I'm so pleased' and 'How long have you been doing acting?'
"I said '43 years' and she said 'In so many different things, well done."'
She added: "I can't take that in.
"The most exciting time was when the letter came, I looked at it and thought 'what?' because it's that sort of very formal speak, 'what does this say?' then I saw dame and I thought 'bloody hell'.
"That was the most exciting bit.
"Somebody emailed me to say how did you celebrate? I weeded the garden."