Michael Palin’s knighthood did not come as a total surprise to me. I heard rumors in recent weeks from rather reliable sources, so when the official announcement came, it was not a shock.

Still, the news that Michael would become a real-life k…nigget is a little amazing, yet completely Pythonesque. Knowing him over the past 40 years, and seeing him play one of the Knights Who Say Ni, there was little reason to think that it would ever happen. The Pythons were never particularly respectful of the Royals in the traditional British sense, and never took it all very seriously.

On the other hand, it makes complete sense. Once Michael began introducing TV viewers to the rest of the world, he took a step further from Python, and a step closer to the sort of chap that would become a knight.

And of all the Pythons, who better than Michael? John and Eric have been spending less and less time in Britain. Terry Jones never showed any inclination toward such an award. Graham is, unfortunately, dead. And Terry Gilliam—even worse—insisted on spending the majority of his life as an American.

So why not Michael? He has spent years as a respectable author and documentarian, distancing himself enough from Python that the Royals could overlook his portrayal of Sir Galahad and the leader of the Knights Who Say Ni, and encounters with the Pantomime Princess Margaret, enough to make him a real knight.

So congratulations Sir Michael! You have made this American very proud of you and your career. And best of all, I know that the next time we meet, you’ll be the same old Michael.#montypython #michaelpalin

Ridiculously happy birthday wishes to Michael Palin, the last of the Pythons to turn three-quarters of a century! That’s 75 years of being the Nicest Man Alive (and I’m happy to say that I’ve known him for over half of them). I’m going to celebrate by watching Michael’s brilliant performance in The Death of Stalin, where he portrays the nicest of the brutal Soviet despots. Happy birthday Michael, and many more!