The applause was still ringing out for Oscar winner Helen Mirren when she touched down at Heathrow airport this week. The LA-based 61-year-old was greeted with spontaneous clapping and a standing ovation as she made her way to the waiting limo. "It was incredible, and she looked really touched by it," commented one onlooker.
The Queen star, who was still proudly clutching her gold statuette, spent 20 minutes signing autographs and posing for photos with fans as she waited for her luggage in the baggage hall. "I've just had the most incredible welcome to my country. It's very, very sweet," she said.
Despite her lofty role as Queen Elizabeth in the acclaimed film, Essex-born Helen wasn't above wheeling her own bags, however. And she certainly feels no need for the formality of royal dress, as she revealed during an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey.
The actress spared no blushes as she admitted she wasn't wearing an underwear beneath the stunning Christian Lacroix gown she chose for the ceremony. "I cried when I put it on - it's a work of art," she enthused. "I gave Christian special instructions about my dress because I'd be in it for many, many hours and so it's as fabulous inside as it is on the outside." She is now turning her wardrobe concerns to her Oscar, saying she'll knit him "a nice little coat" to keep him warm in England.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
