The Queen, 75, wearing a green velvet Me + Em dress and white drop Alhambra Van Cleef & Arpels earrings, attended with her sister Annabel Elliot. The pair were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Lady Sarah , Gabriella Windsor and her husband, and Freddie Windsor and his wife, the actress Sophie Winkleman.
While speaking to the “dozen dames”, Dame Vanessa presented her with a large bouquet of roses. “Thank you, that’s very kind,” said the Queen, before a group photo was taken.
She joined a reception where English wine had been specially ordered for the King and guests dined on Shakespeare-themed canapes including “To beet or not to beet” blinis.
Also on the guest list were Sir Tim Rice, poet laureate Simon Armitage, Jeremy Paxman, Fiona Bruce, Melvyn Bragg, the playwright Sir David Hare and theatre impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh.
Authors including Sir Michael Morpurgo and Jilly Cooper joined directors such as Tamara Harvey, the co-artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
After chatting to guests, the Queen, a long-term campaigner on the joys and benefits of literature, joined Brandreth who took to a stage and made a speech.
“I was telling the Queen I’ve given up name-dropping for Lent, so the next few days are going to be tricky for me,” he said.
He then raised a toast “to the King, the Queen and William Shakespeare”, before turning to the Queen, saying: “You can’t drink because you’re part of the toast.”
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
