Baldrick beats Blackadder to knighthood in Queen's Birthday Honours
He failed to impress one Queen Elizabeth and was constantly attacked by his master Blackadder, but in a cunning plan, the man best known for his role as Baldrick has been knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Actor Tony Robinson's honour is in recognition of his public and political service.
He vowed to use his knighthood to highlight causes he campaigns for - and "rescue any damsels in distress":
He trumps his Blackadder co-star Rowan Atkinson, who gets a CBE.
Mr Atkinson said the award came as a "genuine surprise and is a great honour."
The MBE for Adele rounds off an eventful few months for the singer: the 25-year-old became a mother in October, and has won a Grammy, a Brit Award and an Oscar already this year.
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MBEs went to singer-songwriter PJ Harvey and the Daybreak presenter Aled Jones.
43-year-old Harvey famously became the first and only person to win the Mercury Music award on two occasions, picking it up for a second time in 2011, ten years after her first triumph.
Comedian Rob Brydon said he accepted his MBE "for short Welshmen everywhere."
The 48-year-old was one of the hosts of for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace, but is most famous for his role is Uncle Bryn in Gavin And Stacey.
Sports presenter Clare Balding was awarded an OBE in recognition of her widely praised Olympic coverage. The accolade comes just weeks after she collected an honorary Bafta. She said her OBE was the "pinnacle" of her year.
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Sculptor Anish Kapoor was awarded a knighthood.
Kapoor designed the 115m (377ft) ArceloMittal Orbit sculpture and observation tower in the Olympic Park.
Also knighted was the former TUC general secretary Brendan Barber, for his services to industry and the economy.
He said he was happy to accept the honour as a recognition of the outstanding work of the trade union movement:
The OBE is also given to Wendy Parry whose 12-year-old son Tim was killed in the Warrington Bombing in 1993 along with 3-year-old Jonathan Ball
Mrs Parry and her husband Colin then set up the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace, working to support those affected by terrorism and conflict.
Speaking on the 20 year anniversary of the tragic death of her son, she said:
Novelist Jackie Collins was made an OBE for her services to the arts. Her sister Joan was given the honour in 1997. The 75-year-old is famous for her raunchy novels.
Among her best-sellers are her first novel, The World is Full of Married Men, and The Stud, The Bitch and Hollywood Wives - all of which were filmed for cinema or TV.
Former ITV News presenter Julia Somerville was also commended, picking up an OBE for her working chairing the Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection.
A total of 1,180 people receive awards in this year's Birthday Honours, including 556 women, 47% of the total.