King Charles was joined by a host of famous faces at St James’s Palace on Thursday for the King’s Foundation Awards ceremony as the organisation marks its 35th anniversary. Among the glittering guest list were the likes of Kate Winslet, Stanley Tucci, Sir Rod Stewart and Alan Titchmarsh.
Another surprise guest was Hollywood royalty, Meryl Streep. The three-time Oscar-winning actress, who has been described by royal aides as “a friend of the foundation”, spoke to the King as she stood in between David Beckham and Kate Winslet.
While the monarch and the actress spoke incredibly warmly at the ceremony, they share a funny link.
The actress, who is famed for her roles in the likes of The Iron Lady, Sophie’s Choice, the Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia, once revealed that she wanted to marry the King.
Speaking to the Daily Mail back in 2009, Streep said: “When I was a kid I wanted to be a princess and marry Prince Charles. When I met him I told him about it and said I was sorry it didn’t work out between us. But I’m not really sorry.”
Her meeting with the King is not the actress’s first brush with royalty as she previously met King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain when she was awarded the prestigious Princess of Asturias Arts Award at a ceremony in the city of Oviedo.
Thursday’s reception saw the stars, who are all either ambassadors or friends of the foundation, join the King to celebrate those doing pioneering work in sustainability, traditional heritage crafts and environmental education throughout the UK.
As Royal Founding President of the charity, The King was on hand to celebrate the foundation’s 35th anniversary at the event as well as recognising the incredible talent and work of the charity’s students, graduates and partners.
After cutting a cake in the shape of a ’35’, the King then met the winners to congratulate them on their awards after competing for the prize in eight individual categories alongside hundreds of other entrants.
The Awards ceremony featured interactive displays of The King’s Foundation’s education programmes, showcasing furniture making, millinery and embroidery, as well as the charity’s 35th anniversary time capsule, which will be buried later in the year.