Tonight the Queen will be meeting a man who, for over forty years, has been undertaking missions on Her Majesty's Secret Service: 007 himself, James Bond.
Thousands of fans and hundreds of camera crews from around the world are set to converge on London's Leicester Square for the premiere of the 21st Bond movie, Casino Royale.
It's a fitting choice for this year's Royal Film Performance, Ian Fleming having named his 1953 book Casino Royale in tribute to the Coronation of Elizabeth II.
Although no great fan of movies — albeit
she and the rest of her family enjoy regular screenings at
Sandringham's private cinema, especially during the Christmas and New
Year break — the Queen has been Patron of The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund for over 55 years.
However, in recent times the duty of attending the annual event alternates between the Queen and her eldest son, Prince Charles.
Unfortunately, he too is no great movie fan, as he all-too clearly
showed in the 1994 Jonathan Dimbleby documentary, during which the
weary Prince grimaced and complained when informed it was his turn to
attend the Royal Film Performance.
