BB star Shilpa meets the Queen

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has met Queen after delivering a personal testimony on the importance of tolerance.

The Indian actress, who was at the centre of a global race row during the Channel 4 reality show Celebrity Big Brother, shared her experiences at a service marking Commonwealth Day.

Both the Queen and Shetty stressed the need for respect and understanding in their addresses at the multi-faith ceremony in Westminster Abbey.

They were introduced afterwards near the Great West Door following the service.

Shetty, dressed in a purple velvet intricately embroidered sherwani designed by Tarun Tahiliani, greeted the Queen with "Ma'am" and performed a deep curtsy as she shook her hand.

The Queen, who looked diminutive in stance next to 5ft 8 ins Shetty, gave her a broad smile.

The Duke of Edinburgh prompted the star to laugh as she attempted to keep her balance while wearing open toe sandals with large wooden heels as she stood on a metal grate.

In her testimony in front of the Queen and a congregation of 2000 people, Shetty talked about the importance of coping with differences.

She said: "As a child growing up in Bombay, I was aware of the vastness of India and of its incredible diversity. The differences are multiple in religion, culture, language, caste, wealth and much else.

"There are tensions between tradition and modernity, between the affluent and underprivileged. And there are new challenges such as the impact of HIV-Aids, one of India's fastest growing problems.

"And yet Indians share a common identity that unifies us and makes us a nation. In India, in the UK, and the world over we are constantly reminded that we have to cope with difference on a daily basis.

"It is every human being's inalienable right to live with dignity. Differences must be overcome. Only then will we have a brighter future."

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