Queen Camilla poses alongside Patricia Routledge and Jonna Lumley in rare outing

15 February 2024 , 11:12

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Queen Camilla was celebrating William Shakespeare with acting royalty (Image: Getty Images)

Queen Camilla posed with Keeping Up With Appearances star Dame Patricia Routledge, who made a rare public appearance, at a celebration of women in the arts.

The Queen, who is an avid fan of the arts and entertainment, has made no secret of her love of Shakespeare as she and King Charles held a reception to honour his contribution to life and culture to the UK last year. But while her husband may be recovering after undergoing treatment for his cancer, Her Majesty was out and about in the capital.

During her evening at London's Grosvenor House Hotel, The Queen saw performances by the likes of Dame Judi Dench, Robert Lindsay and Gary Oldman. Her Majesty is patron of the National Theatre and attended the Celebration of Shakespeare event as part of this. The event was part of ongoing celebrations marking the passing of 400 years since Shakespeare's first folio and featured themed "To beet, or not to beet" beetroot canapes.

Queen Camilla poses with (back L-R) Joanna Lumley, Floella Benjamin, Twiggy Lawson, Harriet Walter, Penelope Wilton, Maureen Lipman (front L-R) Virginia McKenna, Sian Phillips, Vanessa Redgrave, Penelope Keith and Patricia Routledge at the Celebration Of Shakespeare at Grosvenor House (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

However, she wasn't the only royal in the room, as she happily posed for photographs with television and stage royalty as they shared their love for the poet, playwright and actor who died in 1616. One snap shows The Queen alongside Dame Joanna Lumley, Dame Floella Benjamin, Dame Twiggy Lawson, Dame Harriet Walter, Dame Penelope Wilton, Dame Maureen Lipman, Dame Virginia McKenna, Dame Sian Phillips, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Vanessa Redgrave, Dame Penelope Keith and Dame Patricia Routledge.

All of the legendary actresses have performed a Shakespeare play across their career, with Joanna Lumley playing Viola in Twelfth Night, while Judi Dench played Lady Macbeth in the 1979 movie adaptation. Wirral-born Patricia Routledge who made a rare public appearance launched her stage career playing Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream back in 1952.

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Dame Judi Dench performed Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 (Getty Images)

Dame Judi said it was "lovely" to attend the event and gave a performance of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, describing the Bard as "the person in our family who is called the man who pays the rent".

As the night got underway, host and friend of the King and Queen, Gyles Brandreth raised a toast to "the love of Shakespeare and the love between the King and Queen!" Patricia Routledge, 94, looked unrecognisable from her days as Hyacinth Bucket in Keeping Up Appearances.

She rested in a wheelchair while wearing a duck egg blue trouser suit for her evening with fellow acting legends and The Queen. Elsewhere, Camilla was joined by her sister, Annabel Elliot, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, King Charles' cousin Lady Sarah Chatto and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's children, Lady Gabriella Kingston and her brother, Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife, actress Sophie Winkleman.

Daniel Bird