SASKATOON -- A brush with royalty left a pair of Prairie comedians seeing stars Thursday night.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were guests of honour at a centennial gala that celebrated performing artists born in Saskatchewan.

Regina native Leslie Nielsen may have been a little apprehensive when Her Majesty came on stage to shake hands with the artists at the end of the nationally televised show. In the comic actor's movie The Naked Gun, his character has a run-in with an actress impersonating the Queen.

Nielsen said when he got to shake hands with the real thing, he wasn't quite sure whether she was familiar with the movie or not.

"We simply looked at each other, there seemed to be an exchange of hidden meaning," Nielsen deadpanned.

Emcee Brent Butt had, um, high praise for the encounter.

"She didn't seem like she was in a bad mood when she came up on stage," Butt observed. "She didn't lean in close to me and say, 'What was that all about?' which is a good sign."

The evening featured performances by singers such as Juno-winning country star Brad Johner, folk legend Buffy Ste. Marie, bluesman Colin James and Canadian Idol runner-up Theresa Sokyrka.

There was also a tribute to singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, who did not perform.

Actress Shirley Douglas, daughter of late Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas and mother of actor Kiefer Sutherland, delivered an address.

About 11,000 people attended the gala.