May
9 "The Queen" on Why She Declined the Queen

After she offered her regrets to Queen Elizabeth's invitation for dinner, Helen Mirren released a statement today, just to set the record straight that she was not, in fact, rebuffing Her Majesty. Work on a decidedly American project, and a sequel, "National Treaure 2," kept her in the states.

Via her publicist, Stan Rosenfield,

"I was honoured to be invited to dinner at the Palace. This was a gracious gesture and very appreciated by me. It was therefore hard to have to decline. I was contracted on that date to be working in South Dakota, in a situation which was impossible to change. I would have made every effort to attend if it had been humanly possible. I explained this to the Palace officials, and I believe they understood. I would never have the hubris or the rudeness to insult anyone who had the kindness to invite me to dinner."

Given that the Queen had other distractions --- President Bush's "17--," the Kentucky Derby, Mickey Rooney --- this is all probably well behind her. Maybe another invite could be in the offing?

Just to make sure, "National Treaure" publicist Michael Singer also confirmed that "a very challenging and uncompromising production schedule" prevented the meet up.