16 Celebs Tell-All About What It's Really Like To Meet The Royal Family

While being a celebrity undoubtedly has its drawbacks, it still provides people with some pretty incredible opportunities in life. Alongside the obvious benefits of fame and fortune, celebs get to attend fancy award ceremonies, spend time at prestigious events, and meet some pretty amazing people. They also find themselves a lot more likely to come into contact with royalty! The British Royal Family show up both publically and privately at a number of high-profile events, meaning the celebs of this world get the chance to rub shoulders with this unique family. They attend movie premieres, awards ceremonies, and numerous other celeb-filled gatherings. If you're a British celeb, you also have the added chance of being awarded an honor by the Queen herself! Scores of actors, musicians and artists find themselves being summoned to Buckingham Palace every year.

Even if you're a celebrity in your own industry, meeting a royal can be a pretty intimidating experience. They're the highest-ranked family in Britain, and make up the world's most famous monarchy. It's enough to leave even Oscar-winning actors quaking in their boots! Still, meeting any royal is often an exciting and ultimately positive experience for most celebrities. Here are just a few famous faces who've spilled the beans on their past royal encounters.

16 James Bond Actor Daniel Craig Was Surprised By The Queen's Sense of Humor

Who can forget the memorable skit at the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony starring The Queen and Daniel Craig? Craig, in character as James Bond, 'escorted' the monarch to the ceremony, culminating in them both seeming to jump out of a helicopter and into the stadium. While the Queen admitted that she 'loved' partaking in her first-ever movie role, Craig was less enthused on the day he got to meet the monarch.

He was, in his own words, a "bit grumpy" due to having to work on his usual day off. Still, he was impressed by the Queen's apparently raucous sense of humor, claiming that "she was fun, incredibly game."

While the skit was initially supposed to be serious, the monarch herself injected a bit more comedy into the brief clip. One is definitely amused!

15 Kanye West Was Unimpressed By Princes Harry and William's Comments About His 'Bling'

Well, this photo looks like the oddest hip-hop group in the history of the music industry. While having Kanye West and P. Diddy in the same room as Princes William and Harry may seem improbable, it actually happened. The princes invited Kanye to perform at a concert in memory of their late mother, Princess Diana, back in 2007. While Kanye's set was a rousing success, his experience meeting Wills and Harry was apparently a bit more awkward. According to the rapper, one of the princes said that his sunglasses were 'bling'. While this was probably intended to be a compliment, the rapper admitted that "I didn't have the heart to tell them that I'm the anti-bling." Well, at least he chose to spare William and Harry's feelings… But what even is "the anti-bling"? Classic nonsensical Kanye.

14 Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell Broke Royal Protocol When The Band Met Prince Charles

While all of the former members of the Spice Girls have met Prince Charles on multiple occasions, it's Geri Horner - formerly Halliwell - whose interactions with the heir to the crown have been most memorable. When the band met the Prince at the premiere of their movie Spice World back in 1998, reports claimed that Horner had broken royal protocol in a pretty major way.

Apparently, she pinched poor, unsuspecting Charles on the behind! That's less than ladylike behavior, Geri! In the years since the incident, Horner has insisted that she didn't pinch the Prince at all - she merely tapped him on his rump.

Is that much better, really? Whatever the case, Charles clearly wasn't bothered: he and Geri remain friends to this day. In fact, he wrote to the Ginger Spice when she quit the band, asking what he would do without her "friendly greetings" to look forward to. Cheeky!

13 Reese Witherspoon Totally Fangirled When She Met The Duchess of Cambridge

Honestly, Reese Witherspoon's reaction to meeting the Duchess of Cambridge is totally relatable to any royal family fan. In an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Witherspoon explained the full story of her royal encounter. When the Dutchess invited Reese to attend a fundraiser she was hosting, the actress jumped at the chance. Her smile in the photos says it all, really! The actress admitted that she's always been a huge fan of Kate, and meeting her brought out what Witherspoon's husband calls her huge "double-barrel" smile! While the actress is hopeful that she and Kate will become BFFs at some point in the future, she's still waiting for another royal invite. Not that she minds - that one meeting was an incredible experience she'll treasure for the rest of her life!

12 Legendary Actor Sir Patrick Stewart Is Very Fond Of Wills and Kate

Legendary actor of stage and screen Sir Patrick Stewart is no stranger to royal encounters. He's met various members of the Windsor family over the years, including the Queen when she knighted him in 2010.

However, Sir Patrick has been particularly vocal about his fondness of Wills and Kate. He met the couple in 2014 at a Creativity Is Great event in New York, and was immediately charmed! Stewart called the couple "personable, pleasant, and, may I say, attractive" - high praise indeed!

He had a long conversation with the couple, discussing topics such as their frequent traveling habits. Apparently, the event was Prince William's first ever time in NYC, a fact that Stewart - and we - found surprising! You'd think the future King would have quickly visited every major city! Anyway, the actor had nothing but kind words to say about this high-status couple.

11 Queen of Pop Madonna Wasn't Nervous To Meet The Actual Queen

When Madonna met the Queen at the Die Another Day premiere back in 2002, she told reporters that she "wasn't nervous" when she came face-to-face with the monarch. However, perhaps she should have been - their brief conversation was apparently quite awkward! Despite Madonna being one of the most famous pop stars in the world, the Queen apparently had absolutely no idea who she was. It was the pair's first time meeting, and the whole exchange left Madonna in stitches! At least she saw the funny side… The monarch was also apparently unaware of who legendary actor John Cleese was, straight up asking him "what do you do?" Oh, Elizabeth. She's clearly not very up-to-date on the pop culture of her country. But then again, ruling the country and the Commonwealth is a pretty big job. Maybe we should forgive her this one.

10 Helena Bonham Carter's 4-Year-Old Daughter Interrupted Her Big Meeting With The Queen

Acclaimed actress Helena Bonham Carter has met the Queen on a few occasions during her illustrious career. However, none of these meetings was quite as memorable as the actress' CBE ceremony in 2012.

As Bonham Carter was being presented with the award, her then four-year-old daughter apparently interrupted the ceremony!

Kids, eh - you can't take them anywhere! While we don't know exactly what her daughter said, it clearly wasn't enough to spoil the actress' day - or annoy the Queen. Bonham Cartner very much enjoyed meeting the monarch in this prestigious setting, calling the day "very, very special." It must have also been a bit surreal - shortly before the ceremony, the actress had portrayed The Queen Mother in the blockbuster movie The King's Speech! The current Queen must have approved of Bonham Carter's interpretation of her mother. We doubt she'd have given her the award if not…

9 Ellie Goulding Has Never Fully Revealed Just What It Was Like To Know Her Rumored Ex-Boyfriend Prince Harry

Before Prince Harry was happily engaged to Suits actress Meghan Markle, rumors began to emerge that he was dating British pop star Ellie Goulding.

The two were snapped together a number of times in the summer of 2016, and certainly seemed to enjoy each other's company! They were reportedly spotted kissing under a blanket at a polo match, sparking rumors of a romance.

Goulding was on friendly terms with the Royals for years before this alleged relationship blossomed. She sang at both Prince William's wedding and Prince Harry's 30th birthday party. However, the singer has kept relatively quiet about her true feelings for the younger prince. When pressed about Harry in interviews, Goulding would only confirm that she wasn't pregnant with his baby, another popular suggestion at the time. Poor Ellie! Being close to royalty can't be easy…

8 Margot Robbie First Met Prince Harry After Prank Calling Him - And He Was Totally Chill With It

It may seem like an unlikely friendship, but Prince Harry and Margot Robbie really are good pals! They've been spotted hanging out with other mutual friends multiple times now, and were apparently introduced by model and actress Cara Delevingne! While they're now on good terms, Harry and Margot's first encounter painted the actress in a less-than-great light. She was convinced by Delevingne to prank call the prince! Prank calling royalty?! There's got to be a law against that, right?! Either way, Harry didn't mind - in fact, Robbie says that he found the whole thing more amusing than annoying! We hate to think what might have happened if he hadn't… This laid-back attitude was one of the many reasons why Robbie decided to pursue a friendship with the prince. Well, that and the fact he's actual royalty.

7 Ed Sheeran Got On Well With Prince Charles - Despite Making A Big Faux Pas

If anyone's going to get away with making a gaffe in front of the royal family, it's cheeky charmer Ed Sheeran. Admittedly, Ed's faux pas was not the worst one in the world.

Back in December of last year, the singer traveled to Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE from Prince Charles. As he was shaking the future king's hand after the presentation, Sheeran - shock horror - TOUCHED CHARLES ON THE ARM. Can you believe it?!

Such a terrible mistake… Okay, not really. But still - it broke royal protocol, and Ed was left a little bit red-faced. Still, it didn't ruin the experience for the singer! He later stated that he very much enjoyed meeting the Prince. The day was also poignant personally for Sheeran - he received his award on the anniversary of his beloved grandfather's death. Surely Charles can forgive the arm-grab considering the circumstances?!

6 Allison Janney Found Meeting Wills and Kate 'Awkward'

While most celebs seem to have enjoyed meeting various members of the royal family, actress Allison Janney seems to be the exception to this rule. The I, Tonya actress felt less than comfortable when she met Prince William and Duchess Kate at the BAFTAs last month. Janney should have been in her element - she'd just won the Best Supporting Actress Award, after all! However, the royal couple apparently caught her at an inopportune moment. Janney was barefoot backstage at the ceremony, her high heels causing her a lot of pain after a few hours. When Wills and Kate appeared, the latter was still wearing her own heels, despite being pregnant. Janney admits that she felt like a "wimp" for being caught shoeless, and actually recommended that the Duchess remove her own footwear. Needless to say, she didn't, and the whole exchange ended up being super awkward. Poor Allison!

5 Oscar-Winner Eddie Redmayne Found Meeting The Queen 'Humbling'

Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne has had quite a few brushes with royalty. He went to the prestigious boarding school Eton College with Prince William, and once met the Queen at a reception for British movie big-wigs in 2012. However, his most memorable royal moment came in 2016, when Queen Elizabeth awarded Redmayne an OBE for services to drama. The actor looked overjoyed to have been given this honor, adorably bringing his wife and parents along to the ceremony.

He later spilled the beans about his brief conversation with the monarch, revealing that she asked him "whether I prefer film or theater." Redmayne found the experience "humbling" and "extraordinary", although he admitted that his baby daughter had kept him awake the night before the ceremony! See, celebrities really are just like us…

although he admitted that his baby daughter had kept him awake the night before the ceremony! See, celebrities really are just like us…

4 Nothing Could Prepare Benedict Cumberbatch For Finally Meeting Royalty

With a name as posh as Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch, you'd think this Sherlock and Doctor Strange actor would be on first-name terms with the royal family! However, it turns out Benedict is just as awed by the monarchy as the rest of us. He's met numerous royal figures over the years, including the Queen herself! The two met when Cumberbatch was awarded a CBE for services to the acting and charity sectors. While the actor may seem like the epitome of confidence and cool when he's on-screen, he admits to being pretty overwhelmed by the experience. He told Vanity Fair that chatting to Queen Elizabeth II was both "fantastic" and "quite nerve-wracking", and that "to meet her and be honored by her was extraordinary." The question is, is HRH a Sherlock fan? We doubt Cumberbatch got the chance to ask…

3 Back In Happier Days, The Whole Jolie-Pitt Clan Got To Meet The Queen

Back when warring exes Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were still a happy couple, they took their huge brood of children to Buckingham Palace for the day. However, they weren't there to be tourists - they were there to meet the Queen herself! In 2014, Jolie was made an honorary dame by the monarch for her services to women's rights, particularly in war zones across the globe.

While Pitt and the children weren't permitted to be in any official photos on the day, they were there behind the scenes! Pitt revealed that he'd never seen his children "so still and respectful" as when they met the Queen following the ceremony.

As you'd expect, really! He called the experience "a lovely day for our whole family", and was grateful to the monarch for enabling it to happen.

2 Serena Williams Enjoyed Hanging Out With Royalty At Wimbledon

Back in 2016, tennis royalty met actual royalty backstage at Wimbledon. Just after Serena Williams won the legendary contest yet again, she bumped into Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex! The two had been in the audience during her game and wanted to congratulate the star personally. Williams was clearly pretty chuffed to meet Kate, judging by the numerous Snapchats she posted of the two together! She later admitted that she was glad she didn't realize royalty was watching her play until after the game. "Maybe I would have gotten a little nervous!", she joked when interviewed just after the meeting. Apparently, Williams discussed predominantly tennis with the two royal ladies - as you'd expect, really. While she found the whole experience "surprising", she still insists that it was "pretty cool." We can only imagine!

1 Despite Playing The Queen On-Screen, Helen Mirren Is Still Star-Struck By The Monarch

Whenever Helen Mirren meets the Queen - and it's happened a few times - she finds herself under more pressure than most. Alongside the usual nerves that come with meeting royalty, she has to stand in front of the monarch having famously portrayed her on screen! Mirren played the lead in the 2006 drama The Queen, receiving praise from the royal herself for her incredible performance. While it must be good for Mirren to know that Her Majesty approved of her acting skills, she still finds chatting with the monarch very intimidating.

In an interview with Radio Times, Mirren joked that she suffers from "Queen-itis" whenever she meets the royal, finding the experience so petrifying that she often does or says the wrong thing.

We've all been there, Helen - although perhaps not in front of the Queen.