Russell Brand meets the Queen after making risqué jokes about granddaughter Zara

Her Majesty seemed to bear him no ill-will when they met last night after the 79th Royal Variety Performance.

But earlier he had stunned some audience members with his comments about wanting to date Zara Philips and introducing himself as "shagger of the year."

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Big-haired Brand, 32, said: "I have been thinking an awful lot about Zara recently, no, just wondering if she's single. "Nah, there would be a courtship... then a court martial."

Brand, infamous for dating a host of celebrities, wondered aloud what he would say to the Queen upon introduction.

He said he would feel very nervous but would say: "Are you aware I'm shagger of the year?

"Not that I'm suggesting a demo or anything."

One member of the audience said: "We were amazed with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh watching that he should go so far.

"Some people laughed but other people looked a bit stunned.

"It was a bit disrespectful."

Brand, a presenter of Big Brother Little Brother, upped the ante further by claiming to be, in fact, very respectful of the Queen.

"When I lick a stamp I always do it with my eyes closed."

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Clad in his trademark tight black trousers, Brand's humour drew huge applause.

He famously taunted Rod Stewart by claiming he had "a little go at his daughter" Kimberly at the GQ Awards last year.

Enraged, Rod lept onto the stage and started berating Brand at insulting his 27-year-old daughter's honour.

And even his jokes last night about Liverpudlians being on the dole, went down well with the audience at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.

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"When I was signing on for years, no no, I am not just trying to appeal to the people of Liverpool," he joked.

After the performance the celebrity lothario was mobbed for photographs and autographs by fellow performers and dancers backstage.

Asked what the Queen said to him, the comic said: "She said she enjoyed my act very much and she wished it had been me who broke into her bedroom that time."

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He added that in writing material for the show he aimed to display his "respect" for the monarch.

Acts included American rock band Bon Jovi, British stars James Blunt and Seal, Latin calendar boy Enrique Iglesias and Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, 27.

Comedians included Jimmy Tarbuck, Stephen K Amos and pub landlord Al Murray - who at one point got the audience singing Insy Winsy Spider.

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But the biggest cheer of the night was saved for Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts.

Potts, whose life has been transformed in just months from selling mobile phones to selling millions of albums, belted out Pavarotti's Nesssun Dorma.

After meeting the Queen and Prince Philip, he said: "I've never met her before.

"She said she enjoyed the performance - this really is a dream come true. It still feels like a huge change in my life. I still pinch myself sometimes."

The evening was hosted by Kate Thornton and Phillip Schofield - who pleased the audience by telling them Liverpool was the most "swinging city in the world".