generic Daniel Craig And Pierce Brosnan Share Solemn Tributes To Queen Elizabeth
Craig (left) and Brosnan both met Queen Elizabeth numerous times before her passing. (Photo: Left: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images; Right: Matthew Simmons/Getty Images)
Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan joined the mournful chorus Thursday besetting the United Kingdom in wake of Queen Elizabeth’s death. The James Bond actors, both of whom met the queen several times before her passing, gave public statements.
“I, like so many, was deeply saddened by the news today and my thoughts are with the royal family, those she loved and all those who loved her,” Craig told the PA news agency, per Yahoo. “She leaves an incomparable legacy and will be profoundly missed.”
Brosnan, who portrayed the fictional MI6 agent created by Ian Fleming from 1995 to 2002, posted a photo of Queen Elizabeth on Instagram. It depicted the monarch at the 1961 premiere of “The Guns of Navarone” at London’s Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square.
“Rest in peace, your majesty,” Brosnan captioned the post. “It was an honor to serve you.”
James Bond has long served as an institution in the United Kingdom, galvanizing the populous into cheering for a courageous defender of the realm. Queen Elizabeth famously shook hands with Sean Connery at the 1967 premiere of “You Only Live Twice,” according to Town & Country.
Royals like the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles, who now serves as monarch, attended numerous high-profile “Bond” premieres from 1981 to 1989. Connery and Roger Moore, who portrayed the character from 1973 to 1985, were respectively knighted in 2000 and 2003.
While Brosnan met the queen at the premiere of “Die Another Day” in 2002, Craig performed a stunt-laden sketch with her at Buckingham Palace for the 2012 Olympics. He was made honorary Commander in the Royal Navy in 2021 — and now holds the same title as Bond, himself.
“We were having our photograph taken, and she just went, ‘Oh no, he’s the one that doesn’t smile,’” Craig told Stephen Colbert about filming the sketch. “I was rolling around on the floor with [her pet corgis] most of the time. I mean, they’re just there. I think they have their own footmen. They’re very friendly.”
Queen Elizabeth died Thursday at her Scottish residence of Balmoral. She was 96.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
