Phyllida Law has claimed not being allowed to vote in the recent Scottish independence referendum saved her agony.

Law said that the indyref split was still a "huge problem that needs to be sorted out", before adding not being allowed to vote "saved me agony".

The 82-year-old made the comments as she collected an OBE from the Queen for her services to drama and charity work, accompanied by her film star daughters Emma and Sophie Thompson.

The veteran actress , who wore a tartan hairpiece to signify her Scottish roots, said she was "sure they got the wrong bird" after receiving the honour at Buckingham Palace.

Born in Glasgow and was married to actor Eric Thompson until his death in 1982, Law began her career on the stage before moving in to television and film, including starring roles in The Time Machine, Unleashed and alongside her Oscar-winning daughter Emma in The Winter's Guest.

She has written two books, which she dedicated to her daughters, about her experience of caring for her mother-in-law and later her own mother, who both suffered from dementia.

After collecting her honour she said: "I think they've got the wrong bird. It is lovely. The Queen does a very god job."

She said she is currently writing a book of "very unfortunate anecdotes" from her time in the theatre before "those days are forgotten" but says she would consider more acting roles if the offer was right.

She said: "The theatre is too much for me, I want to live a little - I haven't got that long left.

"If you get asked for radio you don't have to learn the lines, so that's fine.

"If it's film, it depends where it is and who it is with, Geoffrey Palmer would be nice. I don't think I could manage China.

"If it's a very, very old woman, with no lines to speak of, that would be fine."