UK Queen has received many accolades in her lifetime but recently she declined one award. According to the reports, a magazine picked her for the ‘Oldie of the Year’ title but the monarch refused to accept. 95-years-old Queen Elizabeth II was suggested for this award due to her leadership skills during the pandemic and also in anticipation of her Platinum Jubilee next year, after serving 70 years as a Queen.
UK Queen Says You Are as Old as You Feel
In reply to the magazine, UK Queen’s assistant private secretary wrote in a letter that Her Majesty felt that she did not meet the required criteria for this award. The monarch explained that ‘you are as old as you feel’ and advised the magazine to find a more worthy recipient for the award.
The magazine published the Queen’s reply in its next edition.
Who Has Received the Award Instead?
After UK Queen’s rejection, the Oldie of the Year title went to the 90-years-old French-American actor and dancer Leslie Caron. According to the report, the recipient is 5 years younger than the Queen and one of the last remaining stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Movie fans know her from her amazing performances in An American in Paris (1951), Lili (1953), The Glass Slipper, Gigi (1958), and L-Shaped Room (1962).
Caron also has a Golden Globe, a Primetime Emmy, and 2 BAFTA Awards to her name. Most recently she was in 2016 TV Drama, The Durrells in 6 episodes and played a voice actor as a Christmas ghost in 2020 movie, A Christmas Carol. Her other honorary titles include, Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (1993), Ordre National du Mérite (1998), Officier de la Légion d’Honneur (2004), Medaille D’Or De La Ville De Paris (2012), Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur (2013), and J F Kennedy Gold Medal in Arts (2015).
What is Oldie of the Year Award?
The Oldie of the Year awards are being held for 29 years to celebrate the achievements of the older generation. Previous winners of this title have been veteran athletes, community care nurses, and popular public figures like the artist Dave Hockney and actress Dame Olivia de Havilland.
This year’s winners also belong to diverse professions and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla was the one to present the award. However, she was not accompanied by the UK Queen given the refusal. Besides Leslie Coran as the main Oldie of the Year winner, the ex-England footballer Sir Geoff Hurst (79-years-old) won the Oldie Golden Boot of the Year. Moreover, the cook and TV presenter Delia Smith (80) won the Truly Scrumptious Oldie award, Dr. Mirundal Kumar Dutta (81) and Dr. Saroj Kumar Dutta (81) received joint Oldie NHS Angels of the Year award, and Roger McGough (83) won Oldie People’s Poet of the Year award.
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