​King Charles III pays tributes to Barry Humphries at memorial service in Australia

King Charles III on Friday paid tributes to Barry Humphries at a state memorial service in Australia. The monarch reflected on a memorable encounter with the late comedian's alter ego, Dame Edna Everage, recalling a humorous prank orchestrated by the iconic character a decade ago

The video of the prank pulled during a performance in London in 2013 was widely played after Humphries passed away at the age of 89 in Sydney earlier this year.

Humphries, embodying the snobbish character of Everage, approached the then Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, as they occupied the theater's royal box.


Everage, humorously examining her ticket, then shared with the amused royals before departing, "I'm so sorry, they found me a better seat."

King Charles III referred to this lighthearted incident in a message conveyed by Australian Arts Minister Tony Burke during the memorial service at the Sydney Opera House.

"I suspect that all those who appeared on stage or on TV with Barry's Dame Edna, or who found her appearing at the back of the royal box, will have shared that unique sensation where fear and fun combined," Charles wrote as the audience broke into laughter.

"Those who tried to stand on their dignity soon lost their footing. Those who wondered whether Australia's housewife superstar might this time just go too far were always proved right. No one was safe," Charles added.Humphries' comic characters "poked and prodded us, exposed pretensions, punctured pomposity, surfaced insecurities but, most of all, made us laugh at ourselves," he wrote.

Celebrity well-wishers who sent video tributes to the late Australian-born entertainer, Barry Humphries, a long-time resident of London, included composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and comedians Jimmy Carr, David Walliams, and Rob Brydon. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also extended his tribute in honor of the late entertainer.