The late monarch of the United Kingdom made an unlikely new friend with A-list actor Tom Cruise, just weeks before her death.
What Happened: Queen Elizabeth II and the “Top Gun” and “Mission Impossible” star "really hit it off" over the British summer, reported The Sunday Times.
The report noted that Cruise was invited for tea at Windsor Castle and lunch later at the queen's request as they got on so well. The queen reportedly gave Cruise full VIP treatment, such as granting his long-held wish of landing a helicopter at a royal residence.
She met Cruise personally because "she was really disappointed not to have met Tom" due to her mobility problems in May at the Platinum Jubilee equine pageant in the castle's grounds celebrating her 70-year reign, the report added.
"The queen let it be known that she was really disappointed not to have met Tom at the pageant, so he was invited to have a special tour of Windsor Castle with everything laid on for him. Afterwards, just the two of them had tea together. She loved seeing him and they really hit it off, so much so that she invited him back for lunch. He was even allowed to fly in by helicopter," the source said.
The royal palace also arranged for photographs to be taken of the queen with Cruise during their meeting. He was also permitted to try his hand at firing a ceremonial gun.
In 2019, the late queen complained that former U.S. President Donald Trump‘s helicopter burnt the grass upon landing at Buckingham Palace two times on the same day. "Come and look at my lawn. It’s ruined," she was cited as saying by a source.
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