Daniel Craig Presented With Same Royal Award As James Bond

Oct 21, 2022 by apost team

Daniel Craig has become a household name since taking on the Hollywood mantle of playing the perennially suave secret agent James Bond. He first took on the role in 2006’s “Casino Royale” before going on to star in four more installments of the series, the last being 2021’s “No Time To Die.” He delivered a shock to fans when he announced “No Time To Die” would be his last venture as the MI6 agent. For the younger generation, he had been the only Bond they knew and grew up with. Although Craig is a talented actor with incredible range, for many, he will undoubtedly be inextricably linked to the role for many more years to come.

And for good reason, too. Craig’s turn as the dashing spy received commercial and critical acclaim. Richard Brody of The New Yorker wrote Craig brought “a distinctive affect to Bond — clenched, airtight, impenetrable, abraded.” Justin Chang of NPR wrote, “Craig put his imprint on the character from the get-go: Like any good 007, he showed he could rock a tuxedo and toss off double-entendres with ease.” 

Craig’s turn as Bond has been so iconic it’s hard to imagine how the franchise will move forward without him. As filming wrapped on his last film, Craig gave an emotional farewell speech, where he said: “A lot of people here worked on five pictures with me. I know there are a lot of things said about what I think of these films, but I've loved every single second of these movies. And especially this one because I've got up every morning, and I've had the chance to work with you guys. And that has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”

However, one of Craig’s most infamous appearances as Bond wasn’t actually in any of the films. 

Back in 2012, Craig put on the Bond suit for an appearance in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, titled Isles of Wonder, directed by famed British director Danny Boyle of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame. He appeared in a short film “Happy and Glorious,” which saw his Bond stroll into Buckingham Palace. There, he encountered Queen Elizabeth II, who greeted him with the words “Good evening, Mr. Bond” before the spy escorted Her Majesty to a waiting helicopter. The film then cut and a helicopter was seen in real-time circling the Olympic Stadium where the ceremony was taking place. Stuntpersons playing Bond and the queen then jumped out of the helicopter. On the ground below, the real Craig and Elizabeth appeared.

Reception to the segment was widely praised, particularly the queen’s appearance, which showed a playful side to her rarely seen by the public. However, her involvement in the production left the producers quite flummoxed. But they needn’t have been.

In 2019, the queen’s dressmaker and friend Angela Kelly revealed it only took the monarch five minutes to agree to appear in the short film, adding she also requested to have a speaking line.

“I ran upstairs and luckily the queen was free. She was very amused by the idea and agreed immediately. I asked if she would like a speaking part,” Kelly wrote in her memoir “The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe,” as reported by Express.

“I asked whether she would like to say, ‘Good evening, James’ or ‘Good evening, Mr. Bond’ and she chose the latter, knowing the Bond films,” she added.

The Olympics segment would not, however, be Craig’s last brush with the monarchy.

apost.com

On Oct. 18, 2022, Craig was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George by Princess Anne at Windsor Castle. The royal palace tweeted a picture of the Bond actor receiving the award from the princess royal with a caption that started off with, “We’ve been expecting you…” in true Bond style. It then added that the honor Craig received – in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film and theatre — was the same held by his character James Bond.

This was not the first time Craig had followed in Bond’s footsteps. In September 2021, the actor was made an honorary Commander in the Royal Navy — matching the on-screen rank of James Bond. In a statement, the Royal Navy said:

“Commander Craig’s appointment as an honorary officer reflects his personal support for UK Armed Forces and links it with the legacy created through the guise of the fictional British secret agent.”

Meanwhile, the honor Craig received from Princess Anne met with mixed responses from the public. One said:

"They're giving them out like smarties these days.. Which makes them meaningless."

“People complain about actors, musicians and sports people getting recognition, but we watch, listen to them and support them, imagine the world without theatre, TV, sports events, music and books, it would be like sailing in a wooden ship taking 15 days to get to the US,” another tweet read.

One response, however, managed to capture the sentimentality of the moment in a few short words.

“Ah… if only the Queen were alive to present it. How fitting.”

Congratulations Daniel Craig! Are you a fan of Craig’s portrayal of James Bond in the last five films? Which was your favorite? Let us know and be sure to pass this along to friends, family and 007 fans.