The Queen's secret bond with Hollywood actor formed after Jubilee 'disappointment'

The Queen became friends with a famous Hollywood actor at Windsor Castle during the summer before her death, according to a royal insider

The Queen bond with Hollywood actor - The Queen's secret bond with Hollywood actor formed after Jubilee 'disappointment'
(Image credit: Getty)

The Queen reportedly enjoyed a secret friendship with a celebrity actor in the months before her death.


The Queen enjoyed a special relationship with a high-profile celebrity in the last few months of her life, according to an inside source. 

Her Majesty reportedly befriended Tom Cruise in the weeks after her Platinum Jubilee last June, even inviting the Top Gun star to join her for tea at Windsor Castle shortly before her death in September. 

The Queen bond with Hollywood actor

(Image credit: Photo by Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

It's understood that the 96-year-old monarch was 'disappointed' to have not met the Hollywood actor at the Platinum Pageant and subsequently let it 'known' to her staff that she was interested in hosting him at her Berkshire residence. 

"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," a source told the Sunday Times. "Afterwards, just the two of them had tea together." 

Tom reportedly "really hit it off" with the Queen, so much so that she granted him the privilege of firing a ceremonial gun at Windsor Castle. He was also allowed to fly into the royal estate by helicopter, according to the insider. 

Tom Cruise

(Image credit: Getty)

Tom, who appeared in the Platinum Jubilee’s Gallop Through History equine pageant in May, has never been shy about his reverence for the Queen. He has previously sung the praises of the royal matriarch in a TV interview, calling her 70-year-long reign 'historic.' 

"She’s just a woman that I greatly admire," he said before the event at Home Park in Windsor began. "I think she is someone who has tremendous dignity and I admire her devotion. What she has accomplished has been historic." 

It's understood that the monarch also invited Tom back for a second lunch, but sadly, this date wasn't meant to be. The Queen died aged 96 at Balmoral Castle on September 8, after only getting the chance to have one face-to-face meeting with her US admirer. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.