Royal premiere was fit for a king, says VANESSA FELTZ
YOU'D be forgiven for not spotting us amid all the coverage of Beyoncé, JAY-Z, the Vin Diesel clan, Pharrell Williams, Sir Elton and David Furnish et al, but my grandson Zekey, five, and I were at the European Premiere of The Lion King at the Odeon in Leicester Square.
It was an epic affair. Disney made sure of that. Instead of the usual shabby red runner, guests crossed a desert yellow carpet giving a palpable hint of the Serengeti. A special jungle-themed bridge elevated revellers high above the pavements. Excitement bubbled over. Lord, was that Sir Tim Rice? He's written the lyrics to Elton's new music. Gosh, was that exquisite beauty in a diaphanous crinoline Maya Jama, presenter extraordinaire and girlfriend of Glastonbury headliner Stormzy? Was that Rochelle and Marvin Humes to the right, Louise Redknapp of Eternal fame to the left, thingummy-bob off Love Island in the middle - plus Faye Tozer next to boxer Nicola Adams, and Hollywood star Seth Rogen, the voice of Pumbaa? Talk about a mish-mash of the famous, infamous and the barely heard-of in their own kitchens.
Of course, the event was sprinkled in regal stardust. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex graced the premiere with their presence. They were greeted rapturously by the excited crowd.
They also lingered and pressed the flesh with good humour.
The standout royal factor seemed to be that Meghan, 10 weeks following the birth of Archie Harrison, has not managed the unimaginably impossible feat of miraculously shifting all her "baby weight".
She looked beautiful. She's gorgeous and her elegant chignon suited her face perfectly.
Just like any new mother in the real world she was a little rounder, a tad more buxom and a soupçon bulkier about the middle than usual.
Quite how she felt about being exposed to every camera in the known universe before she'd had the chance to regain her formerly svelte silhouette, I have no idea.
Standing next to sculpted Beyoncé - who looked as if she'd harvested a swathe of desert sand and wrapped it around her breathtaking curves - Meghan grinned broadly.
Everyone I quizzed gave her plaudits for putting her best diamond-studded feet forward, showing she has far more important things to do than tethering herself to the gym.