Camilla and the Dames! Queen meets with British acting royalty, including  Judi Dench and Joanna Lumely as they watch Gary Oldman perform for evening celebrating Shakespeare

The Queen witnessed performances by Dame Judi Dench, Gary Oldman and Robert Lindsay at a star-studded event celebrating the work of William Shakespeare.

Camilla was greeted on her arrival at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel by a host of actors who have played Hamlet including Brian Cox, Jeremy Irons and David Mitchell.

She was then received by a dozen dames, including Dame Twiggy Lawson, Dame Vanessa Redgrave and Baroness Floella Benjamin.

On Valentine’s Day, Camilla was given two matching jumpers with a heart on them as a gift by event host Gyles Brandreth, who said he hoped they would keep the King and Queen ‘warm on those cold winter nights’.

Before his performance of Cole Porter’s Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Lindsay said Valentine’s Day was the ‘perfect day to celebrate the King’s love of Shakespeare, and indeed to celebrate the love between the King and the Queen’.

Other attendees at the celebrity-filled event included Charles Dance, Stephen Fry and Sir David Suchet.

His Majesty is currently receiving more cancer treatment after his first public appearance at Sandringham on Sunday.

The 75-year-old monarch landed at Clarendon House in the royal helicopter yesterday after spending a week in Norfolk resting following the shock announcement. 

It is understood the reception was due to be a joint event for the King and his wife, but since his cancer diagnosis Charles has postponed all public-facing duties, however he is continuing with behind-the-scenes work on his red boxes of state papers.

Many of the guests signed a card and left messages of well-wishes to Charles.

The event formed 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.

Camilla, who wore a green velvet dress, met actors, authors, directors, and representatives of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company at the celebration, joining guests for a group photograph.

The King and Queen hosted a reception at Windsor Castle in July 2023 to celebrate the work of Shakespeare in the 400th year of the first folio.

Shakespeare’s first folio, published in 1623, contains 36 of his plays.

Buckingham Palace said: ‘As an avid reader, The Queen has a strong interest in highlighting the importance of literacy and has long been recognised as a supporter of literacy in the UK and internationally.

‘As a grandmother, Her Majesty understands the joy of reading, but also, how literacy can create life opportunities.’

As Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla became patron of several organisations that promote and support literacy – including the National Literacy Trust, First Story, Coram Beanstalk, and Booktrust.

The Queen’s Reading Room charity, initially launched as an online book club in January 2021, works to celebrate and promote the power and benefits of reading.

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’.

Oldman then performed a skit by Ronnie Barker about an actor who jumbles up the lines to Hamlet.

Before giving his performance, the Academy Award winner joked: ‘Gyles said it’s just going to be a few people. He also didn’t tell me I’d have to follow Dame Judi Dench.’

It comes as Queen Camilla admired a painting of Princess Charlotte today as she attended an art gallery in London today. 

The Queen visited artist collective in Shepherd’s Bush after her art curator daughter, Laura Lopes,  told her about the talent on show.

Dressed in a navy A-line dress and black heeled boots, the royal braved the rainy weather as she chatted to artists and curators.

Camilla marvelled at the installations, including taxidermy mice, intricate embroidered textiles.

Chatting to the artists after looking around the exhibit, Camilla praised the talent saying she was ‘very envious’ of their talent, before one artist cheekily gave the Queen her card in case she ‘wanted private lessons’.  

It comes amid reports that her husband King Charles 

is currently receiving more cancer treatment after his first public appearance at Sandringham on Sunday.

The 75-year-old monarch landed at Clarendon House in the royal helicopter yesterday after spending a week in Norfolk resting following the shock announcement. 

Keeping calm and carrying on, Camilla today admired an intricate drawing of Princess Charlotte.

The Queen was drawn to a painting of her step-granddaughter Princess Charlotte by Mercedes Carbonell, who had created her version of a photograph released to mark the young royal’s second birthday in 2017. 

The artist said: ‘The Queen liked it very much, I think Charlotte looks like Queen Elizabeth in the photograph.’ 

 

In the portrait, the princess wore a blue and white checked print blouse beneath a cream wool cardigan, while her hair was decorated with navy blue ribbon.

On arrival, Camilla was met by a glowing chorus sung by a female-only choir.

The group of women sang gleefully to the Queen from atop a balcony at nearby flats.

She opted for a stylish navy blue frock while carrying a transparent umbrella, and added a black cropped jacket with open zipped sides, that allowed her free use of her arms.

She teamed the ensemble with a pair of black suede knee-high boots and a chic emerald green Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra bracelet.

Her blonde bob was typically coiffed to perfection, meanwhile her make-up appeared subtle and enhanced only by a nude lip colour and black mascara. 

Camilla is expected to remain in London because she is hosting a reception to mark the 100th anniversary of the Poppy Factory on Thursday.

As she walked around Kindred Studios, previously used as accommodation by a homeless charity, the Queen told one artist: ‘It was Laura who told me about this, she said it was so fantastic -‘You’ve got to have a look’.’

Among the works on display in the entrance hall were imaginatively quirky pieces by Cordelia Plunket, mother of Camilla’s equerry, Major Ollie Plunket.

Plunket uses taxidermy to recreate scenes from popular culture, and the Queen marvelled at a recreation of the famous Beatles Abbey Road album cover, with the Fab Four replaced with 12in high figures with bird heads.

‘You’ve got Ringo here, and George,’ said Camilla as she peered at the work through the glass case.

Another piece replicated artist Tracey Emin’s My Bed, which the Queen recognised, complete with a bird asleep under a miniature duvet and detritus on the floor.

The artist said later: ‘All of my work is based on iconic moments in time, whether it’s music or film or fashion, and I work exclusively with ethically-sourced animals.

‘And basically my whole thing is to bring a little bit of humour back into taxidermy – it makes it a little bit less scary – and try and put a smile on people’s faces and give life back to these wonderful animals.’

Another work graphically recreated a spaghetti western style shootout between two mice based on the films A Fistful Of Dollars and No Country For Old Men.

Kindred Studios is based in Shepherds Bush and has occupied two other London buildings since 2015. It provides affordable spaces for artists in properties between uses, increasing security for an otherwise empty building and bringing creative life to an area.

While King Charles and the Princess of Wales remain out of action, Camilla and her sister-in-law Princess Anne have been busy.

Today Anne braved the wet weather to wrap up warm at the NCI at Hengistbury Head.

The news comes as the royal was installed as an honorary liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers in her first engagement since returning to London with King Charles. 

The Queen was joined by the Duchess of Gloucester, who was made an honorary liveryman in 2005, in the pair’s first joint engagement.

Opting for a black dress, the queen met with the Clerk of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, Mrs Claire Chitty, and the Master of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers, Mr Peter Dove, ahead of a ceremony at Clarence House.

Camilla shook hands with the clerks while adorning a red and gold robe.

Earlier on in the day,  Queen Camilla was by her husband’s side as the royal couple were driven to nearby Clarence House.

It is thought that the King will hold face-to-face meetings in London this week despite his ongoing cancer treatment.

He will spend a day or so in the capital, as his trip is likely to overlap with his medical appointments.

Charles was pictured walking to church at Sandringham with Camilla on Sunday, the first time he had been seen in public since he began regular treatments.

On Saturday he broke his silence for the first time as he sent his heartfelt thanks for the messages of support and said he was ‘heartened’ to hear his experience is inspiring others up and down the country to get themselves checked.

The letter, signed by Charles R, read: ‘I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days.

‘As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement.

‘It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world.

‘My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience.’

Charles announced last week he was postponing all public duties while he undergoes treatment for an unspecified cancer, found by doctors while he was being treated for his benign enlarged prostate.

But the King is well enough to hold a limited number of face-to-face meetings, sources say.

The Queen has been carrying out her royal diary of engagements and last week said her husband was doing ‘extremely well under the circumstances’.