Comedian Barry Humphries to get state funeral in Australia

In this file photo taken on Oct. 19, 2021, Australian comedian, actor and author Barry Humphries speaks after winning the Wizard of Oz award for his fictional character Sir Les Patterson during the Oldie of the Year Awards 2021 at The Savoy Hotel in London. Humphries, who died on April 22, 2023, in a Sydney hospital, will receive a state funeral in his native Australia, the country’s prime minister said. “Barry Humphries was the quintessential Australian character,” Anthony Albanese told Talk TV in an interview broadcast on May 2, 2023. CHRIS JACKSON / POOL / AFP

SYDNEY, Australia—Late comedian Barry Humphries—best known to audiences as “Dame Edna Everage”—will receive a state funeral in his native Australia, the country’s prime minister has said.

Speaking during a visit to Britain, where Humphries enjoyed huge success, Anthony Albanese said a state funeral would recognize the late 89-year-old’s contributions to stage, screen and country.

“Barry Humphries was the quintessential Australian character,” Albanese told Talk TV in an interview broadcast on Tuesday May 2.

“We’ll be paying tribute to him at a state funeral. He’s someone who has given an enormous amount of pleasure to generations of Australians.”

Albanese dismissed suggestions that Humphries’ comments about transgender people, which stirred controversy in some quarters, should disqualify him from state recognition.

“I think that we’ve got to be able to laugh at ourselves,” Albanese said, adding that acceptance changes over time.

“I think there were 12 episodes of Fawlty Towers and they were fantastic,” he said, citing a popular 1970s British comedy series.

“They were good fun. In my view, today… ‘well, maybe you might do it differently’.”

Humphries “passed away peacefully” surrounded by family on April 22, his publicist said.  /ra

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