Daniel Craig and his wife Rachel Weisz enjoyed a cosy dinner with the Queen this week, the Daily Mail reports. The couple were among a select group of thespians invited to dine with the monarch and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle. Helena Bonham Carter, who portrayed the Queen Mother in royal biopic The King's Speech, also attended with her husband Tim Burton.
Of all the actors at her table, Daniel Craig would be most familiar to the Queen. He was her co-star in the spoof Bond cameo screened during the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony. The Queen is said to have enjoyed her debut with Daniel so much that she wanted to "renew her acquaintance" with the actor.All of the guests were invited to stay over after the banquet, which gave the Queen a chance to personally thank her film friends after being awarded an honorary BAFTA for supporting the arts – and for being the "most memorable Bond girl ever".
"She was on sparkling form," and insider told the Daily Mail. "There was a very warm, jolly atmosphere." According to the newspaper, the Queen's stint as a Bond girl was a prominent topic of conversation over dinner. That was also the case when the Queen collected her honorary BAFTA last week. The monarch accepted her accolade from actor Sir Kenneth Branagh at a star-studded soiree held in Windsor Castle. During his speech, Sir Kenneth joked about the monarch's film debut. "Your sensational appearance at the opening ceremony of last year's Olympics was especially memorable," he said. "So much so that several of my colleagues here tonight want you to know that should you wish to take it further into the world of British films that they have a number of scripts with them here this evening." BAFTA chairman John Willis also paid tribute to his royal hostess for the support she has given British Film and TV during her sixty-year reign. He said, "The Queen has been patron of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund and the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund – for which money is raised by Royal Film Performances – since 1952, so for more than 60 years, she has visited countless industry organisations, shining a light on the work that we all do and lending her tireless support to our efforts."