Dame Helen Mirren has remembered the Queen as the ‘nation’s leading star’ as she lead a special tribute to the late monarch at the Bafta film awards.
The veteran actress, 77, has portrayed the monarch on stage and screen, winning an Oscar and Bafta for her depiction in 2006’s biographical drama The Queen.
The late Queen had a close association with the Academy spanning 50 years which saw her donate to and support initiatives, as well as attend many events.
Taking to the stage at this year’s award ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday in front of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Bafta fellow Dame Helen said: ‘Bafta’s relationship with Her Majesty was longstanding and Bafta would not be what it is today without her loyal support.’
The Prince and Princess of Wales appeared touched by the tribute, and could be seen applauding as the actress concluded her speech.
Dame Helen Mirren has remembered the Queen as the ‘nation’s leading star’ as she lead a special tribute to the late monarch at the Bafta film awards
The Prince and Princess of Wales appeared touched by the tribute, and could be seen applauding as the actress concluded her speech
‘In 1953, her coronation broadcast had the world watching. From that time, she was unquestionably the nation’s leading lady but as mysterious as a silent film star.
‘Who else could meet the world’s most famous singers, actors and performers and turn them into her supporting cast.
‘Throughout her 70-year reign, she met cinema’s greatest icons and witnessed the evolution of Hollywood’s golden age to the birth of the blockbuster. Her Majesty was front row for it all.’
The actress also referenced the more than 50 cultural organisations the late monarch supported during her lifetime and the honorary Bafta award she received in 2013 in recognition for her ‘outstanding patronage of the film and television industries’.
Dame Helen continued: ‘Cinema at its best, does what Her Majesty did effortlessly – bring us together and unite us in a story…
‘Your Majesty, you are our nation’s leading star. On behalf of Bafta, thank you for all that you have done for our film and television industry.’
In 1972, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh donated the profits from the documentary film Royal Family to the Society of Film and Television Arts (SFTA), which later became the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta), for a new headquarters.
The renaming of the organisation occurred during the official opening of the headquarters in 1976, which was conducted by the Queen. It remains the London home of Bafta five decades on.
During her lifetime, the Queen was a patron of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Royal Variety Charity and the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund.
Dame Helen called the Queen the ‘nation’s leading star’, adding Bafta would not be what it is today without her ‘loyal support’
The Queen’s grandson, the Prince of Wales, has been the president of Bafta since 2010.
Speaking to Alison Hammond after the tribute, Dame Helen said: ‘It was tough, I didn’t want to cry.
‘I cried a bit when I rehearsed it and I thought, ‘Good, I got that over and done with’, because I wouldn’t want to.
‘But I did feel very strongly about the Queen, I’m Elizabethan. She was there for my whole life so her passing was massive.’
The Prince, President of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), and The Princess will watch the Awards ceremony before meeting category winners and EE Rising Star Award nominees.
The royal couple have made the event an annual date in the diary, however they last attended in 2020, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic brought lockdown to the UK.
In 2018, the couple attended while Catherine was pregnant with baby Louis, and were also guests of honour in 2017.
The veteran actress, 77, has portrayed the monarch on stage and screen, winning an Oscar and Bafta for her depiction in 2006’s biographical drama The Queen
The EE BAFTA Film Awards are an annual celebration of the extraordinary skills, talent and craft of the film industry.
For the first time, this year’s Awards will culminate in a live broadcast of the final four categories, enabling audiences to experience the nominee and winners’ reactions in real-time.
BAFTA is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally.
BAFTA is committed to identifying talented individuals and making sure they receive professional support and advice that will enable them to succeed, regardless of their background or circumstances.
The charity delivers a year round international programme of learning events and initiatives, including scholarships and mentoring programmes.
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