Dame Helen Mirren joins flood of celebrities paying tribute to late Queen Elizabeth | Entertainment

Dame Helen Mirren has joined the line of celebrities paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth.

The 77-year-old actress, who portrayed the British monarch on the big screen and on stage, said she was “proud to be an Elizabethan” and described Her Majesty’s house as “the epitome of nobility”.

Oscar winner Dame Helen said in an Instagram post after the death of the British monarch on Thursday (08/09/22) at her home in Balmoral at the age of 96: “I am proud to be an Elizabethan. We mourn the loss of a woman who, with or without a crown, was the epitome of nobility.”

As well as playing the monarch in the 2006 film The Queen, the actress transformed into Queen Elizabeth I for an appearance in front of Elizabeth II to celebrate her record 70 years on the throne during the Platinum Jubilee.

Her tribute emerged when composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, 74, was spotted among mourners bringing flowers to leave outside the gates of Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

He was featured in a clip posted to Twitter sharing his thoughts on the Queen as he laid his bouquet, saying: “She was the most extraordinary ambassador.”

He also wrote on his Twitter feed on behalf of himself and his third wife Madeleine Gurdon: “All my life the Queen has been not only the enduring anchor of Britain and her beloved Commonwealth, but to her an inspiration to the world life of service.

“Her legacy will be remembered as a selfless beacon of love, understanding and celebration by fellow human beings around the world, regardless of their race or creed.

“Madeleine and I are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts and prayers are with Her Majesty The Queen’s family.”