by An excellent get well soon card has been sent to the King from the front lights of the British theatre, as more than a dozen “Dames and Hamlets” joined the Queen to toast his health.
The Queen joined the country’s most famous actors and actresses for a Shakespeare celebration at Grosvenor House, London, which turned into a good-will meeting for the King.
A lifelong fan of Shakespeare, the King was forced to miss the event due to ill health, having received a second cancer treatment.
The Queen will return to Sandringham with a large card signed by dozens of friends and fans, who signed their names with short messages during the event.
In a message that will mean a lot to the King, who has often spoken of his respect for those who walk the plank, the card quotes Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well” to say: “It is our hope, man gentlemen, return / And find your Grace in good health”.
The guest list included Baroness Floella Benjamin, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Penelope Keith, Dame Twiggy Lawson, Dame Joanna Lumley, Dame Virginia McKenna, Dame Sian Phillips, Dame Vanessa Redgrave, Dame Patricia Routledge, Dame Janet Suzman, Dame Harriet Walter and Dame Penelope Wilton.
The Queen counts many of them as her friends, and the gathering at Grosvenor House, hosted by Gyles Brandreth with the National Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company, seemed to have the warmth of the gathering.
Among the Shakespearean actors present were Sir Simon Russell Beale, Sir David Suchet, Jeremy Irons, Julian Glover, Brian Cox, Freddie Fox, Gary Oldman and Robert Lindsay.
Lady Sarah Chatto, the King’s cousin and a champion of the arts in her own right, was also there.
Brandreth offered a toast to “a King and Queen whose love of literature and the arts is so deeply rooted, so true and so supportive, it’s great for us and it’s great for our country”.
He also presented the Queen with two matching heart sweaters, for her and the King on Valentine’s Day.
The event marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s first folio.
The Queen, 75, attended wearing green velvet Me + Em and white Alhambra Van Cleef & Arpels earrings, with her sister Annabel Eliot. The pair were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Lady Sarah Chatto, Gabriella Windsor and her husband, and Freddie Windsor and his wife, actress Sophie Winkleman.
Speaking to the “dozen dames”, Redgrave presented her with a large bouquet of roses, “Thank you, that’s very kind,” said the Queen, before taking a group photo.
She joined a reception where English wine was specially ordered for the King and guests dined on Shakespeare-themed canapes including “To beet or not to beet” blinis.
Also on the guest list were Sir Tim Rice, Laureate Simon Armitage, Sir David Suchet, Jeremy Paxman, Fiona Bruce, Melvyn Bragg, playwright Sir David Hare and theater impresario Sir Cameron Mackintosh.
Authors including Sir Michael Morpurgo and Jilly Cooper joined directors including Tamara Harvey, co-artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
After chatting with guests, the Queen, who is a long-term campaigner about the joys and benefits of literature, joined Brandreth who took to the stage and gave a speech.
“I was telling the Queen that I have given up on spending Lent with names, so the next few days will be very difficult for me,” he said.
He then raised a toast “to the King, the Queen and William Shakespeare,” before turning to the Queen, saying: “You can’t drink because you’re part of the toast.”
The writer and broadcaster, who is known for wearing strange jumpers, said: “The last time I saw the King, I was wearing one of my jumpers and he said it looked like a fireplace rug.
“We all send our love and respect to His Highness and best wishes for a speedy recovery. Long live the King!”
Then, Dame Judi took to the stage to perform Sonnet 116 “Let me not wed true minds,” to rapturous applause, while Gary Oldman began his performance of a comic poem about Hamlet, joking: “It’s good this is a house. Gyles said there would only be a few people, and he didn’t tell me I had to follow Judi Dench.”
Finally, Robert Lindsay performed a musical number “Brush up on your Shakespeare,” from the Cole Porter musical, Kiss Me Kate, to the laughter and applause of the Queen and the audience.
Clearly enjoying herself, the Queen left just after 8.30pm, more than half an hour after her scheduled departure time.
Speaking after the reception, actor Sir Stephen Fry, a close friend of Charles and Camilla, said: “We are very lucky to have a King and Queen who are such strong supporters of the arts, especially at a time when there are so many fierce cuts.
“Whatever you think about the monarchy, their role is to bind the nation together, and they are doing that.
“It was great to hear the support for the King tonight, every taxi driver and barista I speak to wants to wish him well. He’s really self-questioning, it’s one of his most endearing qualities, I don’t think he’d believe it – all the support.”
