Stars of stage and screen join royal family for celebration of nation’s dramatic arts

(18 Feb 2014) Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton played hosts to a star-studded event at Buckingham Palace on Monday night, in honour of Britain’s dramatic arts industry. The Queen hosted the event as patron of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Celebrities on the invitation list included acclaimed film director Steve McQueen, actresses Dame Helen Mirren and Dame Angela Lansbury, and film producer Harvey Weinstein. The who’s who line-up of leading filmmakers, entertainers and thespians also included Helena Bonham Carter, Uma Thurman, John Hurt, Sir Michael Gambon, Sir Roger Moore, and Joan Collins. Dame Helen Mirren, who has played the Queen on stage and screen, said she was in awe of her even though they’ve met before. Dame Helen also performed in front of the royal audience in the palace ballroom at the event, along with other emerging acts. While talking with McQueen and Dame Angela, the Queen said “I couldn’t help looking