Welcome to AfterEllen.com!

Enter your AfterEllen.com username.
Enter the password that accompanies your username.
News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media
Home » Blogs » scribegrrrl's blog » Helen Mirren declines to dine with the Queen

Helen Mirren declines to dine with the Queen

by
scribegrrrl

Helen Mirren has sent her regrets to Queen Elizabeth II, who invited Mirren to dine at Buckingham Palace. According to the Daily Mail, the RSVP spelled s-n-u-b:

"It is unheard of for Her Majesty to extend a personal invitation to dinner to someone who has portrayed her in a film. We did not expect to be told that the date is unacceptable."

And why was the date unacceptable to Mirren? Well, because she's busy filming National Treasure: Book of Secrets in South Dakota, of course.

I adore you, Ms. Mirren, but we are not amused. After all, Americans love the Queen. Probably a lot more than we're going to love National Treasure: Book of Secrets. And anyway, didn't you yourself say that you owe your Oscar to Her Majesty? Here's hoping she doesn't decide to collect.

Nah, I'm kidding — who cares, really? It's not like Mirren is likely to play another royal in her lifetime, so a little blue-blooded ill will isn't going to hurt her. And she's not the first British star to dis Buckingham Palace: David Bowie refused knighthood (he's already the Thin White Duke anyway). Vanessa Redgrave and Nigella Lawson have also declined royal honors, as have hundreds of others.

Jeanette Winterson, on the other hand, accepted an OBE last year, which is sort of surprising. I suppose it all depends on whether you want to make a statement. And you could argue that in Mirren's case, the dinner invitation is a bigger deal than any sort of award; it's sort of like Darrell Hammond or Dana Carvey refusing to go to the White House to meet the president he'd made a career of mocking. As if an American celebrity would ever miss such a photo opportunity.

  • scribegrrrl's blog
  • Login or register to post comments
    • Submitted by
    scribegrrrl
    on May 7, 2007 - 4:23pm.
    TAGS :: 
    jennifer from pittsburgh's picture

    The Queen Sucks

    Submitted by
    jennifer from p... (1476 posts)
    on May 7, 2007 - 4:53pm.
    I'd be willing to argue that Winterson is the most brilliant writer of our time, and at the same time I'd also admit that she's full of herself and tiresome in real life. Niether of the latter observations have anything to do with her work, but yeah, it can cloud your (my) appreciation. As for Mirren and the Queen...I've long insisted that she shouldn't have won the Oscar for that role anyway. Mirren's a great actress, no doubt, but that role demanded almost nothing from her. My god, I'd give the award to almost ANYONE other than Mirren in The Queen. In fact, I've lost all respect fot the Academy Awards because of this.
    trypr's picture

    I admire your deft inclusion of the Nigella pic xD

    Submitted by
    trypr (195 posts)
    on May 7, 2007 - 5:07pm.
    It might seem like a snub, but given the time difference between Dakota and the UK, I think it would be reasonable to infer that Mirren is simply being professional.
    nybarrak's picture

    Mrs. Mirren, Antimonarchic superstar with good taste.

    Submitted by
    nybarrak (115 posts)
    on May 7, 2007 - 6:41pm.

    I for one, love the whole ordeal and hope, that Helen Mirren with her sexy intellectual british older chick with good taste-oh why of course I´m familiar with the native art of takraminuguku!- vibe  declined the invitation, based not ony on professional but also personal and political reasons. Accepting and interrupting her life just to meet the protocol of a tired, diseased,redundent, (insert negative adjectives here) monarchy would be endorsing the archaic ideas that uphold monarchies all over the world. Mrs. Mirren I believe is quite the anti-monarchist(which makes her hotter and her performance in the queen better).

    I´m suprised how easily even the leftiest of leftist americans(as in the continents, all three of them) can sway to the extreme right by supporting monarchs like it´s only some kind of fairytale or movie in this case.It is not. I suppose this particular monarch is charismatic and controversial, entertaining perhaps. But the whole enchilada, the idea that divine will and bloodlines define who reigns, who lives in priviledge over the rest of us mortals,(could go on forever). Whatever, anyway in my dreams tonite, I will congratulate her for showing the world just how little we care for monarchies and maybe she´ll invite me over for tea or I don´t know, make out with me or show me some Shakespeare or something.

    Sorry bout all that...

    http://comadotcom.blogspot.com

    inalagirl's picture

    Helen Mirren

    Submitted by
    inalagirl (81 posts)
    on May 7, 2007 - 7:55pm.

    Snub away, Helen!

    It's always kind of puzzled me how Americans are so captivated by the British Royal family. I think its because you guys don't actually have to put up with them (or finance their comfy lifestyle). The monarchy is a very, very tired, outdated institution;Prince William might eventually breathe some life into it but thats a long way off (still letting Daddy pick your girlfriends...way to go,bro!)  The Queen is a dull woman who has led a sheltered life. I wouldn't want to meet her either.   

    Rachel JW's picture

    Nope!

    Submitted by
    Rachel JW (329 posts)
    on May 7, 2007 - 9:15pm.
    I never saw the film, but I could tell that by looking at the previews what it was going to be all about. Making "ooh aww," "they're a strong family," "wow, strong woman!" "She must deal with a lot," "lets honor her," blah blah -- I think most of it is crap and don't buy any of it. The royal family isn't any more royal to me than the Pope is a messenger from God. -Rachel
    Sally's picture

    She has the right!

    Submitted by
    Sally (301 posts)
    on May 7, 2007 - 9:30pm.
    She can say yes or no, so she did! That way she'll go down history like the woman who didn't accept the invitation from the Queen of England!  (Among many others!) 
    I wonder if Ms, Mirren would be available for the common people... I might just contact her agent and see if she is available for dinner with me! LOL!  Of course that would be breaking my diet, but oh well, if she can sacrifice, so can I! LOL!
    lesbian without borders
    cosmiccowgirl's picture

    Miss Manners says...

    Submitted by
    cosmiccowgirl (1143 posts)
    on May 8, 2007 - 1:07am.

    I don't see why people are making such a big deal about this. Well, yes I do--sensational headlines sell papers. But it was not a snub. Basic manners does not require one to accept an invitation for dinner in England when one is all the way across the Atlantic Ocean! Yes, an invitation from the Queen is a big deal, but even the talented Ms.  Mirren can't be on two continents at once. Was she supposed to hold up filming and fly all the way from South Dakota to England for a dinner??!!

    I also don't believe that a senior Palace official said any of that stuff in that article. Expressing shock and displeasure over a dinner invitation to an actress is not really their style.

    unprofessionl's picture

    video

    Submitted by
    unprofessionl (6 posts)
    on May 26, 2007 - 12:43am.
    great new mirren video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPMRnzW8dtk

    Home » Blogs » scribegrrrl's blog » Helen Mirren declines to dine with the Queen