Olivia Newton-John's 'great honor' meeting Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana
Olivia Newton-John's 'great honor' meeting Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana
Astha Saxena, Hollie BealeSat, August 8, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC
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Dame Olivia was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1979. (Image: Getty)
The Anglo-Australian singer and actress, who passed away on August 8, 2022, after a four-year battle with cancer, was appointed a dame in the Queen's New Year's Honors list in 2019.
She previously expressed her "respect" and admiration for the Queen, calling an encounter with the monarch a "great honor".
She was recognized for her contributions to charity, cancer research, and entertainment. This comes after Olivia's daughter claimed she had visited her from the grave.
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The singer's first meeting with Her Majesty occurred in the 1970s, and she later attended an event alongside Diana, Princess of Wales, in Sydney.
Dame Olivia was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen in 1979.
Olivia Newton-John met Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana (Image: Getty)
She accepted the honor at Buckingham Palace, a year following the release of the film Grease, a role that propelled Dame Olivia to international stardom.
In 1980, she encountered the Queen once more, this time in Sydney.
Her Majesty traveled to Australia with the Duke of Edinburgh and attended a charity performance at the Sydney Opera House on May 27.
The Anglo-Australian singer and actress died on August 8 after a long battle with cancer (Image: Getty)
There, Dame Olivia met the monarch alongside fellow Australian icon Paul Hogan, who appeared in his signature shorts.
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In 1988, Dame Olivia was invited to perform at Australia's Bicentenary concert at the Sydney Entertainment Center.
Fellow performers included Sir Cliff Richard, John Denver, Peter Allen, Air Supply, Jon English, Kylie Minogue, Col Joye, and numerous others.
Two years afterward, Dame Olivia performed at the Sydney Entertainment Center once again before royalty.
Discussing the achievement in December that year, Newton-John said she was "grateful beyond words". The New Year honors have been presented since Queen Victoria's reign in the 19th century.
They seek to acknowledge not only prominent personalities but also individuals who have made contributions to national life in the UK through frequently selfless and unrecognized service spanning many years.
The twice-yearly honors list is published on the Queen's official birthday in June and at year's end.
Dame Olivia said: "I am extremely excited, honored, and grateful beyond words to be included with such an esteemed group of women who have received this distinguished award before me.
"As a girl born in Cambridge, I am very proud of my British ancestry and so appreciative to be recognized in this way by the United Kingdom."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
