Sophie Okonedo beams with pride as she receives CBE for services to drama from the Queen at Buckingham Palace
Sophie Okonedo received a CBE for services to drama from Queen Elizabeth II during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
The acclaimed stage and screen star, 50, beamed with pride during the ceremony, looking elegant in a pink dress and matching hair piece.
Sophie was made an OBE in 2010, in recognition for her three decades of work, which has included an Oscar nomination in 2004 for her film Hotel Rwanda and a Tony Award for the Broadway play A Raisin in the Sun.
Honoured: Sophie Okonedo received a CBE for services to drama from Queen Elizabeth II during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday
Proud moment: Sophie posed with her award outside the palace
Sophie shared an animated conversation with Her Majesty during the ceremony as her family looked on.
Share this article
The actress has worked in TV, film and theatre since her training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Her breakthrough performance came in 2004's Hotel Rwanda, in which she played Tatiana Rusesabagina, the wife of Rwandan hotel manager and humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed by Don Cheadle.
Delighted: The acclaimed stage and screen star, 50, beamed with pride during the ceremony, looking elegant in a pink dress and matching hair piece
The role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She has also received a Golden Globe Award nomination for the mini-series Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006) and BAFTA TV Award nominations for the drama series Criminal Justice (2009) and the television film Mrs Mandela (2010).
Her more recent film roles include the big screen story of Christopher Robin, released last year.
Sophie is also known for her extensive theatre work, starring as Cressida in the 1999 Royal National Theatre production of Troilus and Cressida.
Acclaimed actress: Sophie was made an OBE in 2010, in recognition for her three decades of work, which has included an Oscar nomination in 2004 for her film Hotel Rwanda
She made her Broadway debut in the 2014 revival of A Raisin in the Sun and received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Ruth Younger.
She recently won Best Actress at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for her performance in Antony and Cleopatra.
Tuesday's ceremony went more smoothly that Sophie's 2010 OBE medal reception, which ended in laughter and red faces when she was forced to retrieve her pin from the feet of Prince Charles.
Dressing up: Sophie looked elegant in her pink dress and matching headgear
Happy: She wore a big smile on her face as she stood with her prized award
The future king had just presented the actress with the honour for services to drama when the pin he had attached the award to fell off her to dress to the floor.
She told reporters later that the 62-year-old prince was the perfect gentleman: 'The prince said, "I’ll pick that up for you,"' she said.
But the Oscar nominee beat him to it, and bent down to collect the medal. She added: 'It feels really good to get the OBE but I dropped it on the floor. So that was a bit embarrassing. I’m just glad I didn’t trip over.'
Oops: Tuesday's ceremony went more smoothly that Sophie's 2010 OBE medal reception, which ended in laughter when she retrieved her dropped pin from the feet of Prince Charles
Most watched News videos
- Pro-Palestine flags at University of Michigan graduation ceremony
- 'I am deeply concerned': PM Rishi Sunak on the situation in Rafah
- Moment pro-Palestine activists stage Gaza protest outside Auschwitz
- Ship Ahoy! Danish royals embark on a yacht tour to Sweden and Norway
- Moment suspect is arrested after hospital knife rampage in China
- Police arrest man in Preston on suspicion of aiding boat crossings
- Poet Laureate Simon Armitage's Coronation poem 'An Unexpected Guest'
- Deliveroo customer calls for jail after rider bit off his thumb
- Rescue team smash through roof to save baby in flooded Brazil
- Victim of Tinder fraudster felt like her 'world was falling apart'
- Emmanuel Macron hosts Xi Jinping for state dinner at Elysee palace
- Benjamin Netanyahu rejects ceasefire that would 'leave Hamas in power'
