In pictures: Dudley's Sir Lenny Henry meets the Queen - alongside David Walliams and Sir Rod Stewart

The Dudley-born comedian spoke with the Queen during the event at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Awards were given to some of the country's top architects and Sir Lenny was attending as a guest alongside other famous faces including David Walliams, actor Richard E Grant and newly-knighted Sir Rod Stewart.

Her Majesty gave a wide smile as she shook the comedian's hand. The Queen stopped to speak to Sir Lenny, who mischievously held his hands outstretched as Walliams, Sir Rod and his wife Penny Lancaster laughed.

The comic, who was dressed in a grey suit, was keen to capture the moment of his visit to the Academy, posing as Richard E Grant took his picture.

Sir Lenny's meeting with the Queen came less than a year after he was knighted at Windsor Castle.

The monarch, patron of the Royal Academy, gave the awards in recognition of decades-long work in their respective artistic fields.

During the reception in central London the Queen herself was presented with a large bronze replica sculpture of one of the oak trees in Windsor Great Park to commemorate her contribution to the arts in the year of her 90th birthday.

Awards were given to architect David Adjaye, Whitechapel Gallery director Iwona Blazwick and photographer Martin Parr.

Others receiving prizes - a bronze acorn from the tree presented to the Queen - were artist Cornelia Parker and Chris Fisher, an artist and teacher at the Royal College of Art and Goldsmiths.

Each was nominated by an eminent member of the Royal Academy of Arts - artist Chantal Joffe, architect Farshid Moussavi, ceramicist Grayson Perry - who was resplendent when he met the Queen in a silk shift dress with a comical face on, underneath a pink and red chiffon over-dress matched with enormous purple wedge shoes - artist Conrad Shawcross, the youngest living member of the academy, and fellow artist Yinka Shonibare.