Tuesday, 27 February 2007

• Prev
• Next

Helen Mirren's royal tea

The Queen actress could be invited to Buckingham Palace

Fresh from her Best Actress Oscar win for The Queen, Helen Mirren is likely to be invited to tea with the real queen, a Buckingham Palace rep has confirmed.

"It is speculation, but we are looking at a number of options," a palace spokeswoman said on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a rep for Her Majesty said, "We are sure that the Queen will be pleased with Dame Helen's success."

Because of the time difference – the Oscars began at 12:30 a.m. Monday morning in England – Mirren's victory was difficult to catch on British TV, though a pay movie channel did carry the ceremony. Even so, Mirren's win was a top story in the British press.

The 61-year-old actress saluted the queen in her acceptance speech Sunday for maintaining "her dignity, her sense of duty, and her hairstyle" and acknowledged: "If it wasn't for her, I most, most certainly would not be here."