Legendary journalist Harold Evans was knighted by the Prince of Wales yesterday - and recalled how the heir to the throne attended one of his news conferences 26 years ago.

The former editor of The Northern Echo, who went on to edit both The Sunday Times and The Times, became a Knight Bachelor for services to journalism.

The son of a railway worker, Sir Harold forged his reputation when he edited The Northern Echo from 1961 to 1966, where his campaigns resulted in a national screening programme for cervical cancer and a posthumous pardon for Timothy Evans, wrongly hanged for the murder of his daughter in 1950.

As editor of the Sunday Times in the 1970s, he founded the Insight team of investigative journalists whose scoops included the Kim Philby spy scandal.

His most famous campaign was on behalf of the victims of Thalidomide, the drug which left hundreds of children with severe birth defects after it was given to their mothers during pregnancy. Sir Harold fought a legal battle with the drug companies for years, eventually leading to victory in the European Court of Human Rights.

After receiving his knighthood at Buckingham Palace yesterday, Sir Harold recalled the 1978 news conference, which Prince Charles attended. "He told me he remembered coming - we had a very sweet conversation," said Sir Harold.

After his stint on national newspapers, he moved to the US with his second wife, Tina Brown.

Sir Harold, 75, who will return to Britain in October for the publication of his latest book, was joined at the investiture by his wife and their children, George, 18, and Isabel, 13.

* Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell was knighted for his services to Parliament. Sir Stuart is Second Church Estates Commissioner and chairman of the House of Commons Finance and Services Committee.