Mirren turns down Queen invite

Dame Helen Mirren has declined an offer from the Queen for dinner at Buckingham Palace.

The actress, who depicted her majesty in The Queen, said she was too busy for the function on May 1.

She explained: "The Palace very kindly extended an invitation to dinner last Tuesday, May 1. But, unfortunately, I was filming in South Dakota and unable to change my schedule. I am very sad not to have been able to attend."

However, the Mail on Sunday reports that officials saw the refusal as a snub. A source commented: "It is unheard of for Her Majesty to extend a personal invitation to dinner to someone who has portrayed her in a film. We did not expect to be told that the date is unacceptable.

"The Queen has an extremely busy schedule. Her diary is mapped out a year in advance and for her to make time for a private dinner shows how much she wanted to meet Miss Mirren. It remains to be seen if another date can be fixed."