Helen Mirren was tipped to play Queen at Olympic opening ceremony

London): Olympic organisers have revealed that they had considered casting Dame Helen Mirren as the monarch if the Queen refused to take part in the opening ceremony.

Her Majesty meeting James Bond, played by Daniel Craig at Buckingham Palace before a body double jumped out of a helicopter, was the high-point in a breathtaking multi-million pound showcase. But organisers admitted they had a plan B in case she said no – and that included recruiting Mirren, who played the British monarch in a 2006 movie biopic. “There were conversations about where we would take it if the Queen said no. And yes we did talk about Helen at one point but fortunately we didn’t have to go to any other plan,” Taking about criticism of George Michael being allowed to perform his new song White Light, Green added: “It was something that George wanted. We were happy that he was involved in the ceremony.” IANS