'80s Throwback: Stars Who Met Queen Elizabeth During The Decade

Being a member of royalty comes with a lot of advantages. For Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign lasted an impressive 70 years, those advantages included getting to meet pretty much any celebrity she wanted to. While some stars, like David Bowie, refused to be honored by the Queen of England, most celebrities understandably jumped at the opportunity to meet the longtime head of the House of Windsor. While meeting some celebrities was likely more exciting for the queen than others — it's hard to imagine that, being 71 in 1997, the queen was eager to shake hands with the Spice Girls — she always greeted famous faces with respect and dignity. And while the queen handled these meetings well, there have been plenty of times when celebrities embarrassed themselves in front of Britain's royal family.

The 1980s saw the royal attending movie premieres and even heading out to Hollywood to hobnob with some of the biggest names of the decade. In those 10 years, the queen greeted celebrities who were already icons in their own right as well as up-and-coming stars who would go on to become iconic in the decades that followed. And, in each instance, these stars found themselves in what must have seemed like a fairy tale. After all, how many people grow up hoping they'll one day meet true royalty and then actually have it happen?

Just a year before she met Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Film Performance of "Kramer vs. Kramer" in 1980, Meryl Streep was at the beginning of her stunning Hollywood transformation. But here, shaking hands with the queen, Streep already looks like Hollywood royalty. 

With her high-collar coat and white gloves, Streep shows off an elegant style that she seems born to represent. Her outfit manages to stand out, even next to a true blue member of the royal family. Even Miranda Priestly, her "Devil Wears Prada" character, would struggle to find fault with Streep's look here.

Meryl Streep's co-star, Dustin Hoffman, was also there to meet Queen Elizabeth for the U.K. screening of "Kramer vs Kramer" in 1980. The famous method actor is known for being difficult on set and demanding perfection from his fellow actors and film crew, which begs the question: Did he make the queen redo the handshake until they got it exactly right? Unlike Streep's photo with the queen, neither person looks overly joyful to be meeting the other, with their smiles feeling forced. 

In what is certainly a crowded hallway, Queen Elizabeth extends her hand to John Inman, the star of the classic series "Are You Being Served." Inman was so connected to the sitcom that he even played the role in the Australian adaptation, on stage, and in a movie. All of this made him one of the most famous faces on British TV. 

But Inman and the queen aren't the only icons in this photo, taken in 1981. Standing between them from left to right are glam rocker Alvin Stardust," "Man with the Golden Gun" singer Lulu, and '80s New Wave giant Adam Ant.

By 1982, Sally Field's stunning transformation from a surfer girl and a flying nun into one of the finest actors of her generation was complete. But, in this moment, it appears that Field is unable to make eye contact with the queen. She may be suffering from a rare case of "queenitis."

As Mirren explained on "The Tonight Show" (via Hello!), "queenitis" is when someone meets the queen and struggles to stay natural. "You get sort of paralysed and you can't remember what the hell you said," she said. "It's very weird." Thankfully, "queenitis" appears to pass shortly after meeting the queen.

When Queen Elizabeth decided to attend the 1982 premiere of "Evil Under the Sun," she probably didn't expect to meet Jeremy Irons, who isn't in the movie. And she almost certainly wasn't ready to get stared down by the actor.

Irons' steely eyes are laser-focused on the queen in this pic, and the lack of a smile suggests that the actor isn't playing around. Of course, Irons may be suffering from "queenitis" himself in the photo, which would explain why he can't seem to find the focus to give the queen a smile.

While Queen Elizabeth was used to dining in lavish ballrooms and grand palaces all around the world, when she visited the United States in 1983, former actress and then first lady Nancy Reagan threw a party in a 20th Century Fox soundstage to honor the queen. On hand for the occasion was Michael Caine, who barely snuck into the photo on the left-hand side.

Looking at the picture, it's hard not to notice that Queen Elizabeth seems rather unimpressed by her surroundings. Perhaps she is jetlagged, or maybe disappointed that the A-Team didn't show up.

Here, in a picture taken in 1983, Queen Elizabeth walks down a line of amazing talents, from comedian George Burns to the legendary Dionne Warwick, who would have some advice for the queen's grandson almost 30 years later, and Old Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. 

While the two first met in 1958, it still looks like a surreal experience for them. Queen Elizabeth was almost certainly a fan of Sinatra's crooning when she was young, and the Chairman of the Board surely never thought he would shake hands with royalty when he was a skinny kid growing up in New Jersey.

The moment may be from the 1984 premiere of "Champions," starring John Hurt and Jan Francis, but from the look on Queen Elizabeth's face, there's only one question on her mind: Isn't this the man who had an alien explode out of his chest in "Alien?"

While there's no evidence to suggest the queen ever saw the film, she did make Hurt a knight, so it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the queen, Prince Philip, and her corgis watched Ridley Scott's classic sci-fi horror movie.

As the Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms, it was rare for Queen Elizabeth to be photographed during more casual moments. The queen was usually seen by the public in staged events that assured she was shown in the best and most royal light.

But in this photo, the queen is seemingly unaware of the camera as she holds some flowers and talks with John Nettles, known for playing beloved TV detective John Bergerac, in 1989. While there's nothing revealing about the photo itself, to see the queen in such a casual pose is somewhat surprising.