Whether it was the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, or the Prince and Princess of Wales, celebrities often recount the moments they met the royals, with an Oscar-winning actress being no exception. Appearing on James Corden’s The Late Late Show back in 2018, Oscar-winning actress Allison Janney spoke about when she met the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the BAFTA Awards ceremony, in 2018 in London.
She candidly told the tale: “I did meet Kate and William, and she was in her heels and pregnant, so I felt like a bit of a wimp that I was there in my bare feet. She was in full-on heels, and she was my height when I was in my bare feet, it was kind of extraordinary that she’s that tall.”
The West Wing actress added: “I told her that I was in bare feet and I told her that she should take her shoes off ’cause she’s pregnant. It was an awkward moment.”
She also added that she accidentally called Kate by a familiar pet name: “I called her ‘honey’ and that might not have been royal etiquette.”
Hollywood icons have recalled their memories of meeting The Princess of Wales over the years including Academy Award winner, Reese Witherspoon.
In her 2018 book ‘Whiskey in a Teacup’ actress Reese Witherspoon recalled the moment she received an invitation to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales in Los Angeles in 2011.
She shared: “I felt relatively immune from the obsession with the royals until a few years ago when I was invited to meet Kate Middleton. She had just married Prince William, and she was coming to Los Angeles for a fundraiser.
“I don’t even know how I got so lucky as to receive the invitation. The scream that issued from my lips upon receiving it – you would have thought I was going to die.” Reese revealed how Kate was “lovely and warm, elegant and composed” and appeared to be a compassionate individual.
Other celebrities meeting royalty have included British race car driver, Lewis Hamilton, who met the late Queen in 2018.
Going back to 2009, shortly after winning his first world title, Hamilton was made an MBE, which saw him invited to Buckingham Palace, where he met the long-serving monarch. “I was so nervous to meet her,” he said. “It was one of the most overwhelming experiences I’ve ever had. I’m kind of lost for words. I don’t think you realise until you’re standing in front of her how special it is.”
As part of the celebrations, he was invited to attend a special lunch event with the monarch and a few other selected guests. Her Majesty had told Hamilton that she was a fan of his and that she had been cheering him on to his first F1 title the previous year.