Shilpa Shetty has become a household name in the UK after winning Celebrity Big Brother and has since been welcomed at the Houses of Parliament, where she met Prime Minister Tony Blair. But the highlight of her triumphant journey since emerging from the reality TV house came on Monday when she met Queen Elizabeth at a church service marking Commonwealth Day.
Both ladies were beaming as they were introduced at the event in London's Westminster Abbey. "The Queen had a beautiful smile," enthused Shilpa, who dipped into a deep curtsey before the British monarch. The 31-year-old's big moment almost went wrong, though, when she nearly slipped in her high-heel, wooden-soled sandals. "The Duke of Edinburgh said: 'Look, be careful with your heels'," she told reporters.
The Mumbai-based Bollywood actress, beautiful in an embroidered purple velvet coat designed especially for the occasion, was one of five speakers to address the 2,000-strong congregation about inter-racial respect and understanding.
Three months ago Shilpa was relatively unheard of in the UK, but she now finds herself indundated with job offers and has been issued with a work permit to make personal appearances in Britain.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
