Colin Goes To The Palace for CBE

Chiswick star who played King meets real-life royalty

He was called ‘ Your Majesty’ when he played the role of monarch in ‘ The King’s Speech’ but this week Colin Firth met the real heir to the throne at Buckingham Palace when he went to collect his CBE for services to drama.

The Chiswick-based actor was presented with his honour by Prince Charles, whose grandfather he played in the Oscar-winning film. The role of King George VI has been his most successful to date, bringing the 51-year old actor a string of awards, including the coveted Oscar.

He was accompanied to the ceremony by his Italian wife Livia, who tweeted that she was curious and excited to attend the “quintessentially British event”.

The father-of-three has already been recognised for his work on behalf of his wife's native Italy. Firth, who married producer Livia Giuggioli in 1997, was made a Commander of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity in 2005.

Livia, who has become famous for her campaign to bring sustainable fashion to glamorous events, known as the Green Carpet Challenge, wore a black organic wool dress, and a 1989 Prada pattered coat loaned by a friend who had previously worn it to a La Scala premiere.

She joked on her blog that she had almost forgotten to wear a hat to the ceremony but was saved by Allesard Greco, who works with Irish-born milliner Philip Treacy, who had a royal blue wide-brimmed hat delivered to her house in Chiswick the day beforehand.

More than fifteen years after his role as Mr. D’Arcy brought him to fame in the television drama of the Jane Austen book ‘ Pride and Prejudice’,(1995) Colin Firth is about to revisit his role as Mark Darcy , in the third Bridget Jones movie.

Filming is expected to begin shortly ,with reports suggesting the movie will be titled ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’, following the story of the ditzy PR girl as she becomes a mother. Full Monty director Peter Cattaneo has signed up to direct the film which will reunite the original cast, including Hugh Grant and Rene Zwelleger. It is expected to hit British cinema screens in 2013.

January 28, 2012