By Katherine Tinsley
3:02pm PST, Jan 22, 2026
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In 1994, comedy writer Spike Milligan, who is best known as the primary writer for The Goon Show, was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the British Comedy Awards.
Milligan called the award a "golden handshake," and host Jonathan Ross read out a letter from King Charles III, who was a fan of the series.
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In King Charles III's letter, the royal shared he was "someone who grew up to the sounds of The Goon Show on the steam-driven wireless."
While Jonathan Ross read out Charles' message, Spike Milligan jokingly said, "Ah, the little grovelling b******."
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Spike Milligan later apologized to King Charles III in a fax. "I suppose a knighthood is out of the question," Milligan wrote.
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Spike Milligan, who couldn't be knighted due to his Irish citizenship, shared in an interview with the BBC that King Charles III was able to see the humor in the comedian's comments.
"I'm sorry, all the New Year's knighthoods are full up, but try a little light groveling and one might come your way," Charles replied, according to Milligan.
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When Spike Milligan died in 2002, King Charles III publicly grieved the comedic icon.
"It was an immense sadness to learn of Spike Milligan's death, and my heart goes out to all his family," Charles said.
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"It is hard to see Spike's parting as anything other than the end of a great era of British comedy, exemplified by Spike's extraordinary genius for the play on words and for the art of the nonsensical, unexpected," King Charles III continued. "His particular form of hilarity and wit, apart from helping to sustain the British spirit through the unmentionable horrors of war, has provided countless millions with the kind of helpless mirth which adds unique value to life.
