Elaine Paige promises King signed copy of new album as she receives damehood

Dame Elaine Paige has promised to send the King a signed copy of her new album once it is finished as she received her damehood.

The West End star was honoured for her services to music and charity in a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

The 77-year-old wore a blue feathered hat made by a milliner to the late Queen and carried a bag designed by Victoria Beckham – whose husband received a knighthood at the same event.

She said she made Charles laugh during their conversation, telling the PA news agency: “The King has a very quiet voice and he said to me, I think he said to me, ‘Are you keeping your hand in?’ after having said to me, ‘I haven’t seen you in quite a while’, which was true.

“And so I said I was keeping my hand in and that I was in fact about to embark on a new album and that I would send him a signed copy if he would like it once it’s done.

“He thought that was rather amusing and laughed. I’m sure it’s not something that he would be particularly interested in but I will send it anyway.”

The album will contain songs the singer grew up listening to, including tunes from The Beatles and Joni Mitchell.

Born Elaine Bickerstaff in north London 1948, she became an overnight star with her portrayal of Eva Peron in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Evita.

After the show debuted in 1978, Dame Elaine, who had been nominated alongside her co-star David Essex, won the Olivier Award for performance of the year in a musical.

The musical was recently revived at The London Palladium, starring actress Rachel Zegler as Eva, and Dame Elaine said the new production showed “how things evolve” in the industry.

“When I sat there on the first night watching her be rather brilliant with that extraordinary voice, one so young, a completely and utterly different take on the original version that I did… it just goes to show really how things evolve and how life changes from one decade to another,” she told PA.

“This show was proof of the pudding in that, in that it was a completely brand new, modern take, more for young people I would say.

“It was more like a rock concert really, so that’s why I say it was more for the young, but nevertheless, it’s like Shakespeare or like anything else, you can’t leave it as it was first performed, everything has to evolve and change and move forward and this is no different.”

Beyond Evita, Dame Elaine has had starring roles in Cats, Chess, Piaf, and Sunset Boulevard – and has more recently starred in pantomimes at The London Palladium.

Across her career, she has also recorded more than 20 solo albums and has had one chart-topping single with I Know Him So Well featuring Barbara Dickson.

Outside of her work in music, Dame Elaine has supported a number of charities including The Children’s Trust, the Royal Voluntary Service and Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, which she has been president of since 2010.

She said it was “fantastic” to be recognised for her charity work.

“It’s such an honour,” she said.

“And to be given this for, as I said, for something that I love doing and that I’ve been passionate and had the privilege to do, it doesn’t lay lightly with me.

“I’m very humbled by it and it’s a great, great honour.”