London, November 18 British comedian Ben Elton has evoked many frowns after hurling insults at the Queen on Australian TV.

The 50-year-old appeared on comedy quiz show Good News Week where he launched a foul-mouthed tirade against the Royal Family in a word-association game.

He described the Queen as "a sad little old lady", her husband Prince Philip "a mad old bigot who wishes it was still the war", Prince Charles as a disillusioned ex-hippy, Prince Andrew as a bit of a yob, and revived controversy about whether Prince Edward was gay.

"That's a bog-standard British family in all its rainbow glory. If she had a black one and a disabled one she'd have the full deck. She represents Britain more than any head of state represents their country," the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

Outraged viewer Michelle Astley, 34, from Melbourne, complained: "He was disgusting. He came across as an out of control egomaniac."

Elton insisted: "I was making a joke about Australian republicanism, pointing out that our head of state and her family were far more reflective of the modern rainbow population they represented than any other.

"In the first half of the routine I declared my affection for the Queen and suggested Aussies should think twice before dumping a person clearly the most honest and trusted head of state on the planet.

"I did this routine on British TV in my 2005 series Get A Grip. It does not seem to have affected my ­position as an ambassador for The Prince's Trust." (ANI)