Helen Mirren Pays Tribute to Late Queen Elizabeth II at 2023 BAFTAs: ‘She Was Unquestionably the Nation’s Leading Lady’
20.02.2023 - 01:33
/ usmagazine.com
Paying homage. Helen Mirren paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II during the 2023 British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, February 19.
“BAFTA’s relationship with Her Majesty was longstanding and BAFTA would not be what it is today without her loyal support,” Mirren, 77, said, per the Daily Mail. “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.”
Mirren added: “Cinema at its best, does what Her Majesty did effortlessly — bring us together and unite us in a story. Your Majesty, you were our nation’s leading star. On behalf of BAFTA, thank you for all that you have done for our film and television industry.”
Elizabeth’s grandson Prince William was in the audience for Mirren’s tribute on Sunday, attending the BAFTAs with his wife, Princess Kate. Both looked emotional as they applauded Mirren’s speech.
The 1923 actress has portrayed the late British monarch two times over the course of her career. In 2006, she starred as Elizabeth in the film The Queen, which explored the palace’s response to the 1997 death of Princess Diana. Mirren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal as well as a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award.
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During her Oscars acceptance speech, the Prime Suspect alum thanked the real Elizabeth, then 80. “For 50 years