Ben Elton has apologised for causing offence after launching into a crude comedy television rant about the Royal Family.
The comedian and writer, who declared his love for the UK on Tuesday as he denied he was relocating to Australia with his family for good, joked that the Queen was a "sad little old lady".
He also said the Duke of Edinburgh was a "mad old bigot" during a TV appearance Down Under on Monday.
Appearing on satire show Good News Week, he also joked that the Prince of Wales was a "disillusioned ex-hippy". But his spokesman said the comments were taken out of context.
He said: "Ben Elton apologises for any offence which may have been caused. The quotes attributed to him have been taken entirely out of context. He was making a joke about Australian republicanism, pointing out on a comedy show that the Queen and her family were far more reflective of the modern rainbow population they represented than any other."
In the first half of the "routine", Elton declared his affection for the Queen, the spokesman added.
During the appearance, Elton said: "She's an ordinary lady. That woman represents Britain more than any head of state represents their country... she's a sad little old lady, right. She lives in state-sponsored accommodation. Her husband is a mad old bigot that wishes it was still the war."
Describing how "three out of her kids' four marriages have failed", he said "the oldest one is a disillusioned ex-hippy" and "the middle one is a bit of a yob". He also made a joke about the Earl of Wessex.
He added: "I'm just saying that's a bog standard British family in all its rainbow glory. If she had a black one and a disabled one, she would have the full deck. That is a head of state."
Elton, 50, who has three children with his Australian wife Sophie Gare, said on Tuesday he wanted to spend some time near the Aussie side of the family.
