Helen Mirren and David Beckham at the Greatest Briton Awards ceremony

She is an Oscar-winning actress and as such the current toast of Britain's thespian community, despite her pensionable age.

He is a 32-year old footballer, with no known acting ability.

Yet, it was Dame Helen Mirren who was rendered almost speechless last night at the Greatest Briton Awards as she came face to face with David Beckham.

Wearing a glamorous silver evening gown, teamed with matching shawl and diamond-encrusted jewels Dame Helen said: "I am absolutely speechless. What can I say?"

"He is the best of Britain in every way. He is a great icon for this country." And it appears Mr Beckham also shared this sentiment.

Amid screams from adoring fans, Beckham, dressed in a black suit, appeared unconcerned with the crowd as he hastily made his way through to the awards.

He ignored shouts begging him to stop and sign autographs.

Like the Beckhams, whose move to LA is in just three weeks away, Dame Helen also shares a home in America with husband Taylor Hackford.

But, unlike Mr Beckham she was keen to point out that she was so "proud" and "in love" with Britain.

Her role as queens Elizabeth I and II on the small and big screen have earned her a string of coveted awards but it was the widely-circulated rumours of her snubbing of the actual queen - Elizabeth II - that played most on her mind.

She said: "No it is not true that I snubbed the Queen. She is an amazing hard-working woman as I am.

她是奧斯卡最佳女主角，是英國演藝界目前倍受擁戴的人物，盡管她已到了“可領退休金”的年齡。

他是一位32歲的足球名將，無表演特長可言。

然而，就在昨晚“最偉大英國人”的頒獎典禮上，當海倫·米倫爵士見到大衛·貝克漢姆時，她幾乎說不出話來。

海倫身著華麗的銀色晚禮服、肩上一條配套的披肩，戴著鉆石首飾，這位女爵士說：“我簡直說不出話來。我能說什么呢？”

“他是英國最棒的人物，是這個國家一個偉大的標志。”而貝克漢姆自己似乎也有這種感覺。

身著黑色西裝的貝克漢姆在粉絲的尖叫聲中快步走向領獎臺，對周圍的粉絲似乎毫不在意。

他絲毫不理會粉絲求他停下來簽名的喊叫聲。

貝克漢姆一家移居洛杉磯僅有三周時間，而海倫爵士和丈夫泰勒·海克福特在美國也有一個家。

但與貝克漢姆不同的是，海倫爵士由衷的表達了自己對英國的“自豪感”和“熱愛”之情。

她憑借在電視電影中飾演的女王伊拉莎白一世和二世獲得了一系列大獎。但廣泛流傳的有關海倫怠慢（拒絕接受女王宴請的邀請）女王伊麗莎白二世的謠言則是海倫最傷腦筋的事。

她說：“我并沒有拒絕女王的邀請。她和我一樣，是個工作十分努力的女人。”