‘There Is Just This Lovely Woman…’: Henry Winkler Remembers Meeting Queen Camilla At The Royal Races

Henry Winkler enjoyed a memorable summer, highlighted by a remarkable experience at Royal Ascot. He and his wife, Stacey, were present at the esteemed event, where he had the chance to meet Queen Camilla.

Henry Winkler is having a memorable summer, which includes a special encounter with Queen Camilla. The Barry star recently traveled to the United Kingdom with his wife, Stacey, to promote his 2023 memoir, Being Henry. During their visit, the couple attended the prestigious Ascot Royal Races, a significant event with rich tradition and history.

Winkler described the experience, noting the magnitude of the event. “We were invited to Ascot, the royal races. You heard about it in My Fair Lady, you hear about it all through history, and we were invited,” he told PEOPLE.

Winkler, dressed in a top hat and tails, was impressed by King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s arrival in an open carriage drawn by horses, which was followed by a three-course lunch.

The highlight of Winkler’s day was an unexpected request. “Then all of a sudden, a rumor or a buzz goes through the room. ‘The Queen wants to meet Henry,’” Winkler recalled.

He and his wife were led into the paddock, where Queen Camilla approached them. “She comes in white in the middle of them and walks up. I tip my hat, and I talk to her like she was my Aunt Liz. There is no disconnect. There’s no royalty. There is just this lovely woman who knows about my children’s books, the Detective Duck series.”

Winkler’s trip to the United Kingdom was about more than just meeting the royals. He also went to a recording studio in Bristol to voice DIRECTV’s new For the Birds campaign. Winkler and Steve Buscemi reunited for their roles as city-window peeping pigeons, a collaboration that has become a staple of Winkler’s work with DIRECTV.

The commercials, which also feature Hall of Famer Deion Coach Prime Sanders, promote DIRECTV’s live NFL and college football coverage. Winkler and Buscemi’s latest commercials mark their 16th collaboration with the brand.

He said that it’s one of those magical moments where they meet in the middle without knowing Steve really, without being in the room, without being even on the mic together from his recording studio and Henry’s.

While Winkler enjoys his time in Los Angeles, he maintains a strong connection to his New York roots. “I miss New York,” he acknowledged. He said that you can take the boy out of New York, but you can’t take New York out of the boy.

Though Winkler has lived in Los Angeles since 1973, his fondness for New York remains strong. He added that he sees himself as a transient and he has been here since 1973. His wife lives in Los Angeles and so do his children, grandchildren, dogs, home, and work. But he keeps thinking of going back.