Dawn French recalls ‘horrifyingly scary’ encounter with a member of the Royal Family

British comedienne, the inimitable Dawn French, has relayed a childhood memory of a royal encounter that left her stunned and disappointed.

Speaking to the hosts of This Morning chat show in the UK, she recalls the day she met the Queen Mother at her father’s army base when she was just four years old.

Having practiced the protocol for meeting Queen Elizabeth II’s devoted mother and a senior member of the British Royal Family well ahead of time, she was not prepared for witnessing the Queen Mother’s “brown” teeth which left her thinking she was a “witch”.

On the show, Dawn explained: “I was four. It was horrifyingly scary.”

‘We’d done curtsy practice. She came to my dad’s army base. I was expecting unicorns and crowns and neither turned up. I’m fuming.

“A woman in a lilac outfit smiled at me and her teeth were brown.

“When you’re four that’s a witch. I would not speak to her.”

At such a young age, Dawn was clearly taken aback by the Queen Mother’s brown teeth but these days she is a staunch advocate speaking out against body shaming and the entertainment industry’s relentless obsession with image and appearances. 

In a recent interview with The Times, the Vicar of Dibley star opened up about how women are often “reduced” to their appearance when in the public eye.

Recalling the widespread public reaction to her losing weight in 2014 following a hysterectomy she said, “I have never rejected the bigger woman I have been. Lots of people do it and say, ‘Oh, you look so much better – now you look well.’ And I think, ‘F*** off! Don’t judge that other person who I loved.”

Australians can look forward to a night of more of French’s anecdotes and some side-splitting comedy as she prepares to bring her one-woman stand-up show, Dawn French is a Huge Twat, to our shores next year.

“This show is so named because unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate,” French said of the show.

“There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun in a spectacular display of twattery.

“I thought I might tell some of these buttock-clenching embarrassing stories to give Australian audiences a peek behind the scenes of my work life…Roll up! Book early to see the telly vicar lady be a total twat on stage, live in front of your very eyes. And ears.”

DAWN FRENCH IS A HUGE TWAT AUSTRALIA 2024

• RIVERSIDE THEATRE, PERTH WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10*
• RIVERSIDE THEATRE, PERTH THURSDAY, APRIL 11*
• AEC THEATRE, ADELAIDE TUESDAY, APRIL 16
• CIVIC THEATRE, NEWCASTLE FRIDAY, APRIL 19
• PALAIS THEATRE, MELBOURNE TUESDAY, APRIL 23
• WREST POINT, HOBART MONDAY, APRIL 29
• ROYAL THEATRE, CANBERRA FRIDAY, MAY 3
• STATE THEATRE, SYDNEY WEDNESDAY, MAY 8
• STATE THEATRE, SYDNEY THURSDAY, MAY 9
• THE STAR, GOLD COAST TUESDAY, MAY 14
• CONVENTION CENTRE, BRISBANE THURSDAY, MAY 16

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: www.livenation.com.au