The “Maverick” has paid high-flying homage to the monarch.
Screen legend Tom Cruise took the coronation concert of King Charles III to new heights Sunday when he made a surprise appearance in a pre-recorded message.
“Pilot to pilot, your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time,” said Cruise — from the the cockpit of his P-51 airplane, an America-made long-range, single-seat “fighter-bomber” model originally used in World War II.
The pre-taped video was screened over a segment in which former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, 69, and adventurer Bear Grylls, 48, discussed the king’s military service in the royal Navy and Air Force from 1971 to 1994.
The concert, which was attended by 20,000 people, featured several jaw-dropping performances — but 60-year-old Cruise’s cameo was definitely a showstopper for newly crowned King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75.
Cruise’s connection to the royal family dates back to 1992 when he and then-wife Nicole Kidman met Princess Diana during the premiere of their Ron Howard film “Far and Away.”
The late Princess of Wales was reportedly a major fan of “Top Gun” and would watch it frequently with her young son’s Prince Harry and Prince William. Kidman and Cruise later attended the princess’s funeral in 1997.
Cruise went on to become friendly with the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip during an event at the Outward Bound Trust in 2017, where he bonded with the late Prince Consort over their love of aviation.
Tom Cruise with a short Video for #CharlesIII at his #Coronation. #TomCruise pic.twitter.com/IZYvmBffA8
— Tom Cruise News (@TCNews62) May 7, 2023
Cruise has since taken part in other royal events.
The “Mission Impossible” icon even managed to play a role in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and introduced the Kings Troop Royal Artillery in “A Gallop Through History” at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Cruise has also fostered a new friendship with Prince William, 40, and Kate Middleton, 41, after securing a private screening of “Top Gun: Maverick” after learning the Prince of Wales was a fan of the original 1986 film that spawned the blockbuster sequel.
Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP
“We have a lot in common,” said Cruise on the film’s red carpet. “We both love England, and we’re both aviators. We both love flying.”
The message comes just one day after the coronation ceremony, which took place on Saturday, May 6 at Westminster Abbey.
It marked the official transfer of power to King Charles after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September at the age of 96.
Source: https://nypost.com/2023/05/07/tom-cruise-shocks-king-charles-at-coronation-concert/