Royal Watch News

Dustin Hoffman's Queen embarrassment

Dec 19, 2008, 10:00 GMT

Dustin Hoffman had an embarrassing encounter when he met Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

The actor met the monarch in 1979 at a royal premiere for his movie 'Kramer Vs. Kramer' and says his mother's insistence at joining him in the receiving line lead to red faces when she got stuck on a rope.

He explained: "We went to London to have a big premiere, and I brought my parents. You stand in the line and it's the queen, and there's someone next to her who always whispers who's next. And she talks to you like you're an old friend."

Although the evening initially started well, Dustin's mum soon caused the diminutive star difficulties.

He said: "Anyways, my parents are standing right behind me, and a rope is there. I'm standing in line, and they're standing right here. And they're shorter than I am - I am the tallest one in my family.

"My mother wanted to stand in front. And they were coming around, so I said, 'Look, you're not allowed to. There's no other parents.'

"They got to one person before the person next to me, and I was nervous but I heard behind me, 'Honey, Honey,' so I turned, and she had tried to come over the rope, but because she's so short, she got stuck.

"And the rope was literally where her crotch is. She couldn't go forward, and she couldn't go back. We had to hoist her over. That's a true story."