Prince Philip charms pop princess Kylie atWindsor
KYLIE Minogue’s work to cement UK-Aussie relations has been officially recognised – with a royal award.
The Australian star, whose family roots are firmly in South Wales, was yesterday honoured with a reception hosted by the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle.
Philip, 95, welcomed the muchloved singer and actor to the Queen’s Berkshire residence to present her with the award honouring her dedication to the bond between Britain and Australia.
The royal patriarch and the Can’t Get You Out Of My Head singer laughed and joked throughout the private audience in the castle’s grand White Drawing Room.
At one stage Minogue – whose mother Carol Jones was born in Maesteg where her family ran a local post office – gestured towards the Duke, lightly touching his arm as he grinned broadly.
The pair chatted about Minogue’s new album and about how much effort was going into making it.
Minogue unsurprisingly opted for a more demure look than her trademark gold hotpants and was dressed in a floor-length floral chiffon dress.
Philip, who is patron of the Britain-Australia Society, handed over the Britain-Australia Society Award for 2016 which recognises Minogue’s contribution to Anglo-Australian relations.
After she said farewell to the Duke, the singer made a quick stop at the Windsor Castle gift shop for a spot of shopping and joined tourists to peruse the Royal Collection items on offer.
It is not Philip’s first encounter with Minogue. He watched her perform at the Windsor Castle pageant in May last year, staged in honour of the Queen’s 90th birthday, and met her during the red carpet line-up.
But he missed her stint on stage at the Diamond Jubilee concert in front of Buckingham Palace in 2012 while he was being treated in hospital for a bladder infection.
Minogue, 48, won the hearts of the British public while playing Charlene in the hit soap Neighbours in the mid-1980s.
She went on to launch a pop career with early hits including I Should Be So Lucky and Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi, before later remodelling herself from the girl-next-door to a sultry diva wearing gold hot pants with hit tunes such as Spinning Around.
The performer, who already has an OBE, said after her award was announced at a reception at Australia House on Monday evening: “I’m a proud ‘Aussie’ but Britain has a very strong place in my heart, having lived and worked here for many years.
“The Society does a wonderful job to promote the rich cultural ties between the two countries and I am honoured to be recognised by them in this way.”
During previous visits to Cardiff on tour, Kylie has spoken of how she was inspired by her gran Millie, from Maesteg.
Speaking in 2011, she said: “It always feels a bit special performing here as I always get a very warm, Welsh welcome. We have many relatives still living in Wales and I try to catch up with them all when I’m here. We’ll usually meet for a drink before or after a concert and it’s always nice to see them.”