Arise, Sir Michael!

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/16/1997 at 12:00 AM EDT

Michael Caine, 67, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, and described himself as being "quietly ecstatic" over the honor. "It's one of those things where you don't shout and cheer or anything like that, but you get a warm glow any time you think about it," the star, who skyrocketed to fame in the '60s as the quintessential British cad in "Alfie," told Sky television after the ceremony. He also said Her Majesty didn't have a clue as to which films he's done, but she did say to him, "I get the impression that you've been doing what you do for a very long time." FYI: The most recent movie of Sir Michael -- who was knighted under his real name, Sir Maurice Micklewhite -- was "Get Carter," starring Sylvester Stallone. It was a remake of plain old Michael Caine's own "Get Carter," in which he headlined.