Helena Bonham Carter has been made a CBE by the Queen to recognise her glittering acting career.

The actress, who famously played the Queen Mother in Oscar-winning film The King's Speech, received the award during a Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony but declined to speak to the waiting press after receiving the honour.

She was dressed in a striking red tartan patterned dress and had a miniature top hat perched on her head.

Helena was joined by her director partner Tim Burton at the ceremony and their two young children, son Billy Ray, aged eight, and four-year-old daughter Nell.

The couple, who are said to live in adjoining houses in London, met the Queen last week when she hosted a reception to mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth as the actress plays Miss Havisham in a new film version of Great Expectations.

In the palace courtyard the actress was relaxed and chatted with the family members of other honours recipients and posed for pictures.

The Hollywood star agreed to be photographed by the waiting media but did not want to be interviewed, and would only say when asked about her big day that it was "very, very special".

She carried a child's pink mobile phone which had bunny ears and when asked if it had accidentally "gone off" during the investiture ceremony she joked "no, but the four-year-old did".

Helena, who has twice been Oscar-nominated, including for her King's Speech supporting actress role, made her name with a string of appearances in Merchant Ivory films, before appearances in Hollywood blockbusters including Fight Club, Planet Of The Apes and the Harry Potter films.