Queen Elizabeth ‘really hit it off’ with Tom Cruise before she passed away

The Royal Family counts many celebrities amongst their close friends, from Ellie Goulding to the Beckham family. A new report from the Sunday Times has revealed Queen Elizabeth struck up a very surprising friendship before her passing, namely with Mission Impossible actor Tom Cruise.

According to the report, Tom was meant to meet the Queen over the course of the Platinum Jubilee - however she was too unwell to see him. 

A source told the Sunday Times: "The Queen let it be known that she was really disappointed not to have met Tom at the pageant, so he was invited to a special tour of Windsor Castle with everything laid on for him."

While Tom did join in the fun of the Platinum Jubilee - saying a few lines during the larger celebrations at Buckingham Palace - he also visited the Queen at Windsor. He was given the action star treatment as he reportedly helicoptered into the grounds and was allowed to fire a ceremonial gun, one of the rarer weapons he’s fired off in his career.

The pair got on so well that they reportedly set up another lunch date, but Queen Elizabeth sadly passed away before it came to happen.

The source continued: "[The Queen] loved seeing him and they really hit it off, so much so that she invited him back for lunch."

Queen Elizabeth passed away in September earlier this year after her Jubilee celebrations in Balmoral Castle, which led to a nationwide period of mourning. She was 96 years old.

Tom has spent quite a bit of time in the UK over the past years, especially last year as parts of his most recent Mission: Impossible film were set in England. 

He caused a stir last August amongst the local community, when he had to make a surprise helicopter landing in a family’s garden in Baginton as a nearby airport had been closed temporarily.