"I'm so grateful to him for a lifetime of all kinds of experiences," said Clinton, pausing in the middle of her phrase before finishing it on a harder tone at an elite ceremony in the State Department.

Her joke drew hearty laughter from a group of diplomats, politicians and a leading comedian as well as her mother, daughter Chelsea and the ex-president, his ruddy cheeks and white hair a match with his red-and-white-striped tie.

On a more serious note, Clinton also thanked her husband for a life of "extraordinary richness that I am absolutely beholden to and grateful for."

Clinton's presidency from 1993 to 2001 was marked by dramatic ups and downs, including his affair with the young intern Monica Lewinsky for which he was impeached.

In a soul-baring interview during the presidential campaign more than a year ago, Clinton said she never doubted her husband's love for her, despite the former president's infidelity.

Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden, who along with President Barack Obama were all fierce rivals for the Democratic party's nomination for president, wondered aloud how they all ended up on the same team.

"This has been an amazing personal journey," she said.