In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Michael Palin led the Knights Who Say ‘Ni!”. Now, forty-four years later the actor is a knight in real life, having been officially bestowed the honor by the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace this week.
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Late last year it was announced that Palin was among the honorees of the UK’s 2019 New Year Honours list, a list of those recognized for “outstanding achievements, personal bravery and services to the UK and British Overseas Territories.” For Palin, his honors were not for his contributions to entertainment with Monty Python, but for “services to travel, culture and geography” stemming from Palin’s second entertainment career as a travel host as well as travel books.
Palin’s knighting ceremony took place earlier this week, with Palin resisting the urge to joke when the Duke of Cambridge asked where Palin planned to go next.
“He talked about where I was going next, and parts of the world I wanted to I hadn’t already — to which I normally say Middlesbrough,” Palin said (via Mirror). Palin said he opted to say Kazakhstan instead.
Palin is the first member of Monty Python to be knighted and it’s possible that he will be the only. Palin also revealed that fellow Python John Cleese — who was recently cast in the upcoming Clifford the Big Red Dog film — had turned down the chance. Cleese has previously refused notable British honors, a CBE in 1996 and a peerage in 1999.
For those who are unfamiliar, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 British comedy film that takes on the legend of King Arthur. The film sees the Monty Python comedy group — made up of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Palin — portray various characters as King Arthur (Chapman) travels Britain with his quire, Patsy, in search of men to join his Knights of the Round Table. The film spawned quite a few memorable characters, including Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Film, but perhaps the most memorable part of the film was when Arthur and his followers encounter The Knights Who Say “Ni!”, a group of knights who shout “Ni!” to scare people and refuse to allow Arthur passage through the forest unless they give a gift of shrubbery.
The skit has held a special place within pop culture ever since, so much so that Nerdist even got Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy to read the skit along with Batman Beyond producer Alan Burnett and Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini earlier this year.
As for Palin, he’s taking the honor in stride, having said last December that the whole honor likely wouldn’t sink in right away.
“I have been a knight before, in Python films,” Palin said. “I have been several knights, including Sir Galahad. I don’t think it will sink in until I see the envelopes addressing me as Sir Michael Palin.”
