Prince William and Princess Kate sat in the audience as Helen Mirren paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. The Hollywood icon found warm words for the late monarch.
It’s been almost six months since Great Britain – and the rest of the world – had to say goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II. Many Britons still admire their former monarch deeply. This is also the case with Helen Mirren, who she embodied in the 2006 movie “The Queen”. In 2007, she even won an Oscar for her performance. So it couldn’t have been more fitting than Helen Mirren to honor the Queen at the Bafta Awards on Sunday night.
Baftas: Helen Mirren honors the Queen
During her lifetime, Queen Elizabeth II was a big supporter of the Bafta Academy, the main film academy in England. “Bafta has a longstanding relationship with Her Majesty and Bafta would not be what it is today without her loyal support,” Mirren said on stage at the awards ceremony. Not only numerous film stars and colleagues listened to her, but also Prince William and Princess Kate, who represented the royal family in the evening.
“In 1953, the whole world watched the broadcast of her coronation. From then on, she was undoubtedly the nation’s leading woman, but as mysterious as a silent film star,” Mirren said. “Who else could get together with the most famous singers, actors and performers in the world and make them their supporting actors,” she said.
William and Kate in the audience
Mirren didn’t forget what the evening of the awards was all about – namely, recognizing the best performances and films of the year. And so she drew a comparison between the late Majesty and the film industry. “Cinema at its finest does what Her Majesty effortlessly did – it brings us together and unites us in one story. Your Majesty, you are our nation’s leading star. On behalf of the Bafta, I thank you for all that you have done for our film and television industry”, she concluded her speech.
Kate and William were touched by the Hollywood icon’s warm words. The winners of the evening were – in addition to the honorable Queen – Austin Butler, who won the award for best leading actor for “Elvis” and Cate Blanchett, who was awarded for her performance in “Tár”. Best film was the German production “Nothing New in the West”.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
