Comedy star Hughes made dignitary

Geoffrey Hughes also starred in the hit BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances

Royle Family actor Geoffrey Hughes is set to serve real royals after being appointed Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the Isle of Wight.

The comedy star, who played Twiggy in the BBC sitcom, lives in Newport and will deputise at formal engagements.

Hughes, 65, also starred as slobbish Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances and as Eddie Yates in Coronation Street.

He told the BBC he was "absolutely thrilled" to have been asked and it was "a great honour."

Hughes had been a regular visitor to the island, before moving there from Wirral, Merseyside, in 2003.

An Isle of Wight Council spokesman said the actor has an "interest in natural history and the island's bio-diversity."

He is also patron of the Red Squirrel Trust and is an active supporter of many local charities and organisations including the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, Cowes Inshore Lifeboat, the RNLI and St Mary's Hospital.