 Whicker was accompanied by his partner Valerie Kleeman |
Veteran television journalist Alan Whicker has been appointed CBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The 79-year-old, who has appeared on screen for more than 50 years, said the award was "gratifying".
The globe-trotting reporter gave viewers glimpses of far-flung places around the globe on his long-running programme Whicker's World.
His interview subjects have included John Paul Getty and former Haitian dictator Papa Doc Duvalier.
Whicker's show ran from 1959-88, which he called a "window on the world for most people".
'Sophistication'
"In 1959 people didn't travel. Going to Benidorm was the height of sophistication," he said.
The reporter, famed for his trademark slacks and blazer, appeared on Channel 4 last year with a programme called Whicker's War, where he retraced his steps in Italy, where he served in the army during World War II.
He has also been appearing in an advert for an online travel company in which he sends up himself.
Professor Quentin Blake, a renowned illustrator of books, also collected a CBE at Buckingham Palace.
He was appointed the first Children's Laureate in 1999, a job created to raise the profile of literature for young people.
One-Minute World News 
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