Fantasy author Terry Pratchett has received his knighthood from the Queen.

Sir Terry, 60, who is best known for his hugely popular Discworld series of novels, has been honoured for services to literature.

He described the "furore" that greeted the announcement he was suffering from dementia but said it had helped raise awareness about the illness.

Dressed in a top hat and morning suit the writer said: "It would appear to me that me getting up and saying 'I've got Alzheimer's', it did shake people, you cannot help but notice it's in the news an awful lot.

"The thing about Alzheimer's is there are few families that haven't been touched by the disease. People come up to me and talk about it and burst into tears, there's far more awareness about it and that was really what I hoped was going to happen.

"Everybody thinks the Government should be doing more about everything but just think how many of the bonuses which are quite rightly being dragged off certain people, just think to what good causes they could be put - wouldn't that be a lovely thought?"

On Tuesday, former ITN anchor John Suchet became the latest celebrity to speak out about dementia when he revealed the torment caused by his wife's Alzheimer's.

The broadcaster said the disease had "taken" Bonnie, his wife of 24 years, since she was diagnosed three years ago.

Meanwhile, Sir Terry also suggested that the multimillion-pound bonuses which the Royal Bank of Scotland will not be paying to staff could be spent helping to treat dementia patients.

The bank has bowed to intense political pressure and slashed its cash bonuses for staff by more than 90 per cent.

Sir Terry was born on April 28, 1948 at Beaconsfield, and published his first short story aged 13.

He went on to work as a journalist and press officer before his early Discworld novels achieved huge success, prompting him to start writing fulltime.

He was Britain's most read author in the 1990s and is now second only to JK Rowling.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.