It was a moment of triumph when Dame Judi Dench won the best actress BAFTA for her portrayal of Queen Victoria in the film Mrs Brown. She took the stage to thunderous applause from the 1,300 guests who filled the grand ballroom of London's Grosvenor House Hotel for last month's British Academy Awards. But her joy was marred later that evening when the coveted golden trophy went missing.
'At first she thought someone was playing a joke by hiding it,' one of Dame Judi's friends told The Mail on Sunday last night. 'But eventually she realized it had vanished and she was embarrassed and upset.'
Organizers of the most important event in the British film calendar were baffled by the disappearance of the prize that many saw as fitting consolation for Dame Judi having narrowly missed an Oscar for the same role a month earlier. When the award, which had her name engraved on it, did not turn up after two weeks, the Academy had a replacement made.
A BAFTA source said: 'It seems hard to believe anyone would take but, after a lengthy inquiry, that' the only conclusion we can draw.'
Last night Dame Judi, 63, was beginning a holiday abroad. A spokesman said: 'She prefers not to talk about it. It's all ended happily and she has received a replacement.'
Thanks to Meggie for sending me this picture and the article.