Are Queen Elizabeth and Betty White Friends?
There are very few living legends among us, but Queen Elizabeth II and Betty White certainly fit that description. The queen has been the sovereign monarch for almost 70 years. She has been the head of the royal family, weathering triumphs, scandals, deaths, and wars long before many of us were even thought about.
Likewise, actress Betty White has had a career in Hollywood that has spanned over eight decades and she’s still working. Following a resurgence of her career in the mid-80s with the hit sitcom, The Golden Girls, White has appeared in Toy Story 4 and she’s even slated to appear in a forthcoming Lifetime Christmas movie.
It turns out that these women have certainly crossed paths, but are Queen Elizabeth and Betty White friends?
The Queen Mother was obsessed with ‘The Golden Girls’
When The Golden Girls debuted in 1985, it was an instant hit. The series which starred White along with Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty quickly became a global sensation. No one loved the series more than Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, The Queen Mother.
In fact, the Queen Mother was so enamored with the series, that in 1988, she invited The Golden Girls cast to perform at the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium. The women were more than happy to oblige the royal request, and they flew to London to make it happen.
Betty White and ‘The Golden Girls’ cast performed for The Queen
During a 2014 AMA on Reddit, White recalled the 7-minute performance that was edited as to not offend the sensibilities of the Queen Mother and the royal family as a whole.
“It was very exciting,” White recalled. “Queen Elizabeth was lovely. We were told not to address her unless we were addressed. She was up in a box and she came down on stage after with Princess Anne.”
In her memoir, Here We Go Again: My Life in Television — White also recalled The Queen Mother meeting with her and her castmates backstage. “The ladies all dropped a small curtsy as she approached,” the actress wrote. “I happened to be the last one in our foursome and after she greeted Bea and Rue and Estelle, as she got to me, she indicated the scantily clad Rockettes behind us and said to me, ‘Aren’t they beautiful girls?’ I curtsied, and replied, ‘Yes, and such lovely bodies.’ She lit up with a radiant smile that belied her eighty-six years and replied, ‘Oh, yes. Lovely bawdies.’”
Queen Elizabeth will always adore Betty White
Though they wouldn’t necessarily call themselves close friends, it’s obvious that the queen and White have a mutual affection for one another. As the last living member of The Golden Girls cast, we’re sure the queen remembers what a treat their 1988 performance was for her mother.
In fact, The Golden Girls and White brought happiness to more than one member of the British royal family’s life. Princess Diana was also a major fan of the sitcom. She once even spent an entire day with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury watching reruns of the show and improvising much dirtier dialogue.
