Royal honour for Bonham Carter
Actress Helena Bonham Carter was made a CBE by Queen Elizabeth yesterday after a glittering career in the movies.
The actress, who has twice been Oscar-nominated, made her name with a string of appearances in Merchant Ivory films which saw her typecast early on as an English rose restricted to period dramas.
But appearances in Hollywood blockbusters including 'Fight Club', 'Planet Of The Apes' and the 'Harry Potter' films soon put paid to that.
Her individual sense of style -- she famously walked the red carpet at the Golden Globes wearing one red shoe and one green one -- has also garnered her newspaper column inches.
Ms Bonham Carter received the award at a Buckingham Palace ceremony but declined to speak to the press afterwards.
The actress was dressed in a striking red, tartan-patterned dress and had a miniature top hat perched on her head.
Star
It was while filming the re-make of 'Planet Of The Apes' that she met her partner, director Tim Burton, and she has gone on to star in several of his films including 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory' and 'Alice In Wonderland'.
The couple, who have two children, were photographed last year enjoying a New Year's Day walk with British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha.
Ms Bonham Carter is no stranger to political circles.
She is the great-granddaughter of former Liberal Party leader and prime minister Herbert Asquith and her uncle Mark Bonham Carter was a Liberal MP.
- Tony Jones in London
Irish Independent
