Meeting Her Majesty the Queen was a big honor to say the least for Kunal Nayyar. The Big Bang Theory actor admitted that he was left feeling overwhelmed after his exchange with the British monarch on Monday. Kunal and his wife Neha Kapur visited Buckingham Palace on February 27 for a reception to mark the launch of the UK-India Year of Culture 2017. “The evening has just been overwhelming as I got to meet the Queen and to promote UK-Indian culture, which gives me so much pride,” Kunal told reporters. “It is important to me as an Indian artist to promote Indian culture. I am an Indian character on an American TV show, so I wear my culture on my sleeve. So to be here is a part of that.”
Kunal and his wife Neha met Queen Elizabeth at a Buckingham Palace reception Photo: Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Describing his encounter with Prince William’s grandmother, Kunal said, “I did get to speak to the Queen and she said how nice it was to meet me again. I haven't actually met her before so maybe she was confused or has just watched The Big Bang Theory!" The 35-year-old continued, "I just shook her hand, bowed my head and said thank you so much for inviting us.”
GALLERY: QUEEN ELIZABETH'S CELEBRITY FAN CLUB
The Hollywood star admitted that meeting a member of the royal family is significantly different than meeting a celebrity. Kunal explained, “When actors meet actors we know what each other does but meeting the royal family is something else. The Queen is the Queen and has done such wonderful things for communities all over the world.” He added, “It’s not just the aura, it is what she has done for trade, building bridges, building relations. It can get lost sometimes in gossip magazines but the truth is that the good they do is remarkable. It is not just pomp and circumstances.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton also met guests at the affair Photo: Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth wasn’t the only member of the royal family present for the lavish affair. Prince Philip, Prince Edward, Princess Eugenie, the Duke of Cambridge and Kate Middleton also stepped out for the occasion. The Duchess of Cambridge looked characteristically stylish wearing a shimmering pleated dress by Erdem, sparkly shoes by Oscar de la Renta and earrings by Indian designer Anita Dongre. The UK-India Year of Culture 2017 program aims to celebrate the deep cultural ties between the two countries and the 70th anniversary of India's independence through a year-long program of events and exhibitions.
