Penny Lancaster recalls memories of dancing with the King on his 60th birthday

Penny Lancaster has said the King has the same quality as his late mother to “put people at ease” as she recalled fond memories of dancing with him on his 60th birthday.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the TV presenter and model reflected on meeting the Queen and Charles on a number of occasions when her husband, Sir Rod Stewart, performed for them and during charity events throughout the years.

The 51-year-old said during her time with the late monarch she felt she had an “omnipresence” as “she could be everywhere all of the time for everyone”.

Lancaster told the ITV morning programme: “I remember meeting the Queen for the first time. Rod and I are both vice-presidents of the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People), an incredible charity that her late majesty was a patron of, and Rod performed for a couple of those charitable events at St James’s Palace.

“And, like everyone has said, you can almost feel her presence before she’s entered the room.

“That omnipresence I’ve always felt that she had, the way she could be everywhere all of the time for everyone, whether you got the chance to meet her or just felt her presence.”

She admitted that she would feel “extremely nervous” when meeting the Queen but that her “warm smile” and “the twinkle in her eye” helped her “connect with everyone she met”.

Lancaster said she and Sir Rod have also had “many wonderful times” with the new King as they are ambassadors of his charity, The Prince’s Trust.

“He definitely reflects a lot of the Queen’s greatest qualities – the warmth, the humility, you know, that sparkle, and being able to reach out to so many people, especially with his work with the Prince’s Trust,” she said.

The model recalled a time when she sat beside Charles at a dinner and that, when she was serving herself food from a platter, she accidentally dropped it between her plate and his.

She joked that she thought she was “going to be dragged by my hair out and never to be seen again” but the King had an ability to “completely put people at ease” like his mother and told her not to worry about it.

Lancaster added that she went on to dance with Charles to Sir Rod’s hit song Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? during this 60th birthday celebration at his request.

“He asked if I would be the first on the dancefloor because you can imagine people being nervous and not knowing the protocol who should get up first,” she said.

“So he asked in the drinks reception if I would do the first dance so it would get everybody up and and while Rod was performing I was on the dancefloor with Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, William and Harry – it was an incredible time.”

She admitted that he had a “bit of a dad dance” but was “charming”, adding: “I just know that he will follow in his mother’s footsteps and be an incredible king with, of course, support of his wonderful wife, Camilla.”

Her husband, Sir Rod, has performed for the royal family on many occasions, including singing Sweet Caroline at the Platinum Jubilee concert in June.

Last year, Lancaster signed the oath to the Queen after she trained as a special police constable.

She worked during the Queen’s memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday and will be on duty at her funeral on Monday.

She said it will be a “historic moment” and she will be “very proud to be able to serve” during the event.

Soprano Laura Wright also appeared on Good Morning Britain to reflect on singing God Save The King ahead of England’s cricket match against South Africa at the Kia Oval on Saturday.

The singer said in practical terms only a few words were changed but that the “historical significance” of the occasion was notable.

She said: “You think in a sense of the historical significance of what was happening on that day and the gravitas and how poignant it was going to feel in that moment.

“I could feel my heartbeat outside of my body and it felt like the world sort of stopped turning in that moment, but I think that’s what’s so special about sporting events, they bring people together.

“And actually there was this anticipation and silence that fell around the Oval on Saturday before I sang the first line, the first ‘King’ – it was like everyone held their breath together – and then you felt this sort of sense of relief in a way, in a joining together, and you can hear the crowd start to join in.”