BBC News Online: Entertainment

Potter creator to receive OBE

The Edinburgh-based single mother - whose first name is Joanne - has sold more than 30 million copies of her schoolboy wizard books worldwide.

Rowling was to have received her honour in December.

However, the ceremony had to be postponed because her seven-year-old daughter, Jessica, was ill.

The ceremony comes a day after fans of Rowling's schoolboy wizard were treated to a taster of the much-anticipated Harry Potter movie.

The film's makers Warner Brothers put up on their website the first trailer of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, starring Daniel Radcliffe as the young magician.

The film is based on the first of JK Rowling's four Potter best-sellers and is due for release in November.

Oath

Thursday also saw madcap comic Spike Milligan, 82, meet the prince when he received an honorary knighthood at St James's Palace.

The veteran comedian's knighthood for services to entertainment is honorary because he adopted his father's Irish nationality.

He refused to swear the oath of allegiance which stood between him and a British passport.

The prince is a big fan of Milligan, who is best known for his work with Peter Sellers, Sir Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine on the Goon Show.

When presenting him with his knighthood, the prince joked that even he had to take the oath of allegiance.

Milligan replied: "Yes but it's your mother isn't it? You don't get board and lodging at Buckingham Palace if you don't swear the oath."

Milligan, who is recovering from kidney problems, was accompanied at the ceremony by his wife Shelagh, 56, and other members of his family.