'Life won’t be the same without him': King's poignant letter leads Barry Humphries tributes
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King Charles has led touching tributes to Barry Humphries at a state memorial service for the late entertainer, remembering him as a “cultured and erudite” man who “made us laugh at ourselves”.
The monarch’s emotional and humorous message was read aloud by government minister Tony Burke to a packed audience inside the Sydney Opera House on Friday morning.
More than 2,000 people gathered to honour the beloved comedian, who died on April 22 aged 89. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Rod Brydon and Jimmy Carr were among the celebrities to share poignant video tributes.
“I suspect that all those who appeared on stage with Barry Humphries’ Dame Edna or who found her appearing at the back of the royal box would have shared that unique sensation where fear and fun combine,” the King wrote.
“Those who tried to stand on their dignity soon lost their footing, those who wondered whether Australia’s housewife superstar would this time go too far were always proved right.
“No one was safe. Barry Humphries, through his creations poked and prodded us, exposed pretensions, punctured pomposity, surfaced insecurities, but most of all made us laugh at ourselves.
“This cultured and erudite man with his love of literature and the visual arts and his passion for Weimar cabaret could not have been more different from his various stage incarnations.
“Like so many I have been deeply saddened by his passing. Life really won’t be the same without him. May our gladioli bloom in celebration of his memory.”
Mourners entered the star-studded state memorial service greeted by a hot pink carpet and a vibrant display of pink, maroon, blue and white hydrangeas.
The Humphries family had rejected a rival offer to stage the memorial service in the state of Victoria, where he was born.
Humphries’ son Oscar said his late father, who secretly battled inoperable cancer for years before his death, always appreciated seeing a full-house sign for his shows.
“To see how much people loved Barry, dad, is like a buffer against grief.”
Long-standing royal friendships
In a career which spanned over seven decades, Humphries established long-standing friendships with the British royals and is believed to have been a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother.
The admiration was mutual. In 2008, Humphries revealed that the person he admired most in the world was the then Prince Charles as “he does a great deal of good work without anyone knowing about it”.
One of the most memorable examples of Humphries’ comic genius and audacity is when he reduced Charles and Camilla, then the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, to fits of laughter during the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium in 2013.
Dressed as his alter-ego Dame Edna, whose famous catchphrase was ‘Hello Possums’, the comedian entered the royal box and took a seat next to Camilla. An usher later handed a ticket to Edna who then squeezed Camilla’s hand and said: “They’ve found me a better seat.”
Just hours before Humphries’ death, from complications following hip surgery, King Charles rang the entertainer who was a patient of St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney at the time. He died peacefully surrounded by wife Lizzie, children Emily, Tessa, Rupert and Oscar and his 10 grandchildren.
Stars share poignant tributes
Britain’s most successful composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was one of two British theatre giants to send tribute video messages to the late comedian at the memorial.
Loyd Webber said: “You have been a remarkable friend, companion when we have been round very obscure Victorian buildings. All I can say is you were one of the most remarkable people I ever had the privilege of meeting.”
Cameron Mackintosh, who cast Humphries as Fagan in his stage production of Oliver, praised Humphries for reprising his acting skills.
“Barry was thrilled to become an actor again and put Edna back in an overstuffed closet,” he said.
“I was thrilled to have one of the world’s greatest comic stars in my show.”
Singer Sir Elton John remembered Humphries for his understated kindness, as well as his humour.
“Barry Humphries was one of the funniest people in the world, but you know that,” he said.
“But he was also one of the kindest and most generous person to me.
“It is sad that we won’t be seeing him again, but we have so many memories of him. His books, his TV appearances, and the wonderful jokes and wonderful kindness that he showed to me and everyone.
“I hope you all have the most wonderful day there and celebrate with laughter, because that was what Barry was all about.”
Comedian and writer David Walliams paid tribute to Humphries’s comic legacy.
“Spending time with him was one of the greatest pleasures in my life,” Walliams said.
“He was as funny off stage as he was on stage and that can’t be said about many comedians.
“He has left an incredible legacy that will make us laugh forever.”
One-liner king Jimmy Carr recalled the magic of attending one of Humphries’s on-stage performances as a child, when the legendary entertainer “picked on the audience”.
“I’d never seen anything like it. He was picking people out and teasing them, and doing comedy in real time,” Carr said.
“Asking a comedian to improvise a whole show is like asking a magician to do real magic.
“And Barry Humphries had real magic, and it never went away.”
