Kylie Minogue was in high spirits last night after receiving an OBE from Prince Charles, trading the imposing surroundings of Buckingham Palace for celebrations at a local pub.

The Australian singer let her hair down with a night out at the Admiral Codrington in Kensington hours after collecting the prestigious honour.

She emerged from the pub just before midnight, her trademark smile still in full beam as she finally called it a night.

So lucky: Kylie Minogue visits a local pub last night after receiving an OBE at Buckingham Palace

Thrilled: Kylie emerged from the pub with a huge smile still on her face after her momentous day

Kylie, whose hits include I Should Be So Lucky and Can't Get You Out Of My Head, had been honoured for services to music during the ceremony.

Her conversation with Prince Charles flowed for an unprecedented 33 seconds (something of a record in investiture terms).

And Miss Minogue, 40, demonstrated a little Australian informality when she said her goodbyes, clutching Charles's outstretched hand in hers - a technical breach of etiquette which left the prince looking delighted.

 Home time: The pop star called an end to the celebrations just before midnight

As to what passed between the prince and the showgirl, she said: 'He just asked what I'm up to at the moment and was happy to see me better,' - a reference to her successful fight against breast cancer.

'If anyone had told me when I was 14 that one day I would be with my family at Buckingham Palace, I just wouldn't have believed them,' she said.

The diminutive singer wore 5in heels for the ceremony but still had to look up to Charles, who was standing on a podium. 

Minogue first appeared on British television in the mid-1980s soap opera, Neighbors.

She has since sold millions of albums and had hits such as I Should Be So Lucky and Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi.

Royal handshake: A radiant Kylie broke royal protocol by shaking hands with Prince Charles as she received an OBE at Buckingham Palace