A young boy may not have gotten his wish to meet the Queen of England, but he got the next best thing. Oliver "Ollie" Burton has faced many struggles throughout his ten years on this Earth, from Down Syndrome to various forms of cancer, and now terminal spine and bone marrow cancer. And when asked about any wishes he had, Oliver asked that he could have tea with Queen Elizabeth. But the national trust in charge of granting the wish said that the Queen was unavailable to fulfill Oliver's wish, however, a suitable replacement was able to meet Oliver and make his wish come true---Dame Helen Mirren.
Mirren, a famous actress who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth in the 2006 movie "The Queen," invited Oliver and his parents to a performance of the play "The Audience" where Mirren was once again playing the role of the Queen of England. After the performance, Mirren hosted the family backstage, where tea and cakes were served by a footman and Mirren stayed in character as the Queen for Oliver. Mirren even had corgis on hand, the Queen's favorite breed of dog, on hand for added realism. Mirren, herself given the title of Dame by the Queen, knighted Oliver, giving him the title Sir Ollie.
It was a stunning act of generosity and class from the world-renowned actress, and her portrayal of the Queen was good enough that Oliver actually believed she was Elizabeth herself.
"It was a pleasure and a privilege to meet such a brave young man," Mirren told The Sun.
While it is a shame that the real Queen was unavailable to meet Oliver, Helen Mirren certainly went above and beyond the call of duty to give the dying boy a memorable night.
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