Judi Dench has opened up about her love life while discussing her new film, Victoria and Abdul. In the historical drama, Judi plays Queen Victoria, who strikes up a friendship with a young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim. Speaking about the Queen's adoration of the clerk and how romance isn't just for younger people, she told the Radio Times: "Well, of course, you still feel desire. Does that ever go? To the older reader, I would say: 'Don't give up.'"
READ: Judi Dench opens up about love life: 'I don't like the word partner'
Judi opened up about her love life
Speaking about her co-star, Ali Fazal, Judi added: "You're in for a treat. He is very, very tall. He is extremely beautiful and he is an utterly delightful, charming man… and a good actor." The Shakespeare in Love actress is currently in a relationship with conservationist David Mills, after her husband of 29 years, Michael Williams, passed away in 2001. "I miss him but I talk a lot about him," she said of her late husband. "Little things can still catch you unawares... You can be laughing and quite suddenly it's as if somebody comes along with a hammer and you get this tap."
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Judi spoke about David during a recent interview with Good Housekeeping. She said: "He's not going to propose. No, no, no. Let's just pull ourselves together and be our age. I have a jolly nice friend. I don't know what the word is because I don't like the word partner. Chap? Will chap do?" She added: "One hot night during the summer we swam and had a glass of champagne in the garden and I said, 'This is so fantastic'. I get overexcited about things. I love having a laugh."