Late British comedy legend Eric Sykes desperately hoped to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth II before he passed away last Wednesday (04Jul12).
The funnyman, who died following a short illness, was sad to have missed out on the recognition after seeing many of his industry peers handed the accolade at London royal residence Buckingham Palace.
A friend tells Britain's Daily Express newspaper, "Eric was a deeply patriotic man and he quietly hoped he would get the knighthood. He wasn’t the sort of person to make a fuss but it was disappointing for him to miss out, particularly when he saw industry pals like (British TV host) Bruce Forsyth getting one. Eric was one of the founding fathers of modern British comedy and it was plain wrong for him to be overlooked.
"We give knighthoods to people who briefly kick balls through nets. Eric has been a credit to showbiz for over 50 years and hasn’t been recognised properly."