Spike Milligan dies aged 83

File photo: Comedian Spike Milligan (R), who died February 27, 2002, seen here with Prince Charles in 1997. The Prince was a devoted fan, writing to congratulate Spike when he won a Lifetime Achievement award. At the awards ceremony Spike read out the Prince's letter and to much laughter commented "Oh, the little grovelling bastard." The next day Spike wrote to Prince Charles: "I suppose a knighthood's out of the question now?" However, in 2000 he received an honorary knighthood from his number one fan. In a tribute today Prince Charles said "It is hard to see Spike's parting as anything other than the end of a great eera of British comedy, exemplified by Spike's extraordinary genius for the play on words and for the art of the nonsensical unexpected." (Photo by © Pool Photograph/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)