Shirley Bassey - King Charles honors the singer
Their songs from the "James Bond" classics "Goldfinger," "Diamonds Are Forever," and "Moonraker" are hymns for eternity. Singer Shirley Bassey (87) was honored with the acceptance into the exclusive Order of the Companion of Honour from the British Royal Household for her contributions to music. King Charles III (75) welcomed Bassey for this occasion at Windsor Castle on a Tuesday. According to the "Daily Mail," she was extremely nervous at the ceremony and even forgot to curtsy before the Monarch.
"I believe it's more nerve-wracking to receive an award from him than if I had sung for him," joked Bassey. King Charles III even complimented her shimmering, black-and-white outfit designed by Isabell Kristensen. "You look wonderful," he told her. Additionally, he wished her all the best before she broke protocol: "Then I grabbed him - I know I shouldn't have done that. But I grabbed his hands and told him: 'I wish you all the best.'"
"Receiving the Order of the Companions of Honour is simply one of the most wonderful feelings. Music has been a constant companion in my life," explained the obviously elated Bassey further.
Shirley Bassey, born in Cardiff, Wales, has been one of the most famous singers in her homeland since the late 1950s. She gained worldwide fame with her first "James Bond" hit "Goldfinger" in 1964, which was also a massive success in the USA. She achieved another number-one hit in the UK charts in 1997 with her song "History Repeating" by the Big-Beat band Propellerheads.
Not least because of this, Princes William (42) and Harry (39) are known to be big fans of Shirley Bassey. Two years after her latest success, in 1999, Bassey was already made a "Dame Commander of the British Empire" by Queen Elizabeth II. For Shirley Bassey, it was not her first contact with the British Royal Household: She had also sung several times for Queen Elizabeth II. She performed at her 60th Jubilee and in 2016 for her 90th birthday. At both performances, she sang her hit "Diamonds Are Forever."
- Queen Elizabeth II, in her capacity as the head of the British Royal Household, honored Shirley Bassey with the title of a "Dame Commander of the British Empire" two years after her 1997 hit.
- In addition to her performances for Queen Elizabeth II at her 60th Jubilee and 90th birthday celebrations, Shirley Bassey also sang "Diamonds Are Forever" at these events.
- King Charles III, during Bassey's ceremony acceptance into the Order of the Companion of Honour at Windsor Castle, remarked on her shimmering black-and-white outfit designed by Isabell Kristensen.
- The "Daily Mail" reported that Shirley Bassey was extremely nervous before curtsying before King Charles III during the ceremony, jokingly stating that it was more nerve-wracking than singing for him.
- Shirley Bassey, who had gained worldwide fame with her "James Bond" hit "Goldfinger" in 1964, had also sung for the late Queen Elizabeth II, her successor King Charles III, and even welcomed King Charles III's coronation concert in 2023.
