Queen Elizabeth honours The Fonz

Britain's Queen Elizabeth has awarded Henry Winkler an OBE.

The monarch honoured the 'Happy Days' star with the prestigious Order of the British Empire medal for his work with children with learning challenges in the UK although the actor admitted he is disappointed that he will be unable to receive the medal from the queen herself.

Henry - who is most famous for playing The Fonz on 'Happy Days' - told US TV show 'Access Hollywood Live': "I just got a letter from the queen. It said she graciously agrees to confer on me the Order of the British Empire... I felt great. I'm one of four people outside of Great Britain, in the world, that has gotten it this year. I was told that I would never achieve. The queen wrote me.

"Being an American, I cannot pledge my allegiance to the queen, so I cannot get it (medal) from her, which is a little disappointing because I was going to take one of her hats."

The OBE is a special honour awarded to individuals of great achievement and can only be given by the queen.

Last year, Henry helped to launch the My Way! campaign at London's Downing Street, which aims to boost the confidence of children with learning difficulties. He toured British schools to talk to children, teachers and parents to raise awareness of how pupils learn in different ways.

The 65-year-old actor has been involved with a number of charities over the years, including the Epilepsy Foundation, the annual Toys for Tots campaign, the National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, and the Special Olympics.