Shiamak Davar is one of India’s most revered choreographers, who has made some of the biggest superstars in showbiz groove to perfection. Be it Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Dhoom 2 or Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma in ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’, the dance master has choreographed some of the best onscreen and live performances in India as well as overseas.

Back in 2017, Shiamak was invited to Buckingham Palace for the UK-India Year of Culture event, where he was a part of the delegation that also involved other eminent Indian personalities from various walks of life. It was the first time Shiamak met Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen passed away on Thursday, aged 96. Shiamak, who shared a heartfelt message on social media, said that he was heartbroken upon learning about her demise. He says, “I had heard she was ailing. When she passed away, I felt very sad.” He describes her as “Elegant, classy, and very humble.”

Reminiscing about his rendezvous with the UK’s longest-serving monarch, Shiamak says that he was extremely nervous. “I was wondering what I should wear. Though it was formal, I made it Indian because I am proud to be Indian. I wore my Indian clothes. We were invited to Buckingham Palace for an evening affair with the Royal family of the UK for an India Culture event. This was done to strengthen the cultural ties between the two countries, and I was one of the esteemed guests.”

When asked if the delegation had to follow any specific rules, Shiamak recalls, “It was a formal setting. You cannot carry your phone inside and have to give your phone away at the desk. The ladies-in-waiting would accompany me to see the Queen. There was a strict protocol on how to meet her. There’s a line and you have to wait, and then you have to go and shake her hand. That is when the photographs were taken.”

A year before meeting the Queen, Shiamak and his dance company performed for Prince William and Kate Middleton during their visit to India.

Shiamak spoke to the Queen about the same during their brief conversation. “I reminded her that her grandson was clapping away and enjoying himself, to which she replied that it wouldn’t surprise her if he jumped on the table! I met Kate again at Buckingham Palace and she remembered the Bollywood show we did for her and she loved it. She loved the way it was choreographed,” he says.

Shiamak Davar lost his mother Puran in 2021, and it was her who was the happiest to see him meet the Queen. “My mother loved the Queen. For her, it was almost like she was meeting Her Majesty herself. Although nobody else was allowed to visit, my mother still accompanied me to London. Mummy wanted to be there with me and know everything about the grand event,” he concludes.