HOLLYWOOD A-lister Angelina Jolie made a surprising star turn at London event that was to be attended by the Queen. The monarch made a last-minute decision not to appear at a service at St Paul’s Cathedral marking the 200th anniversary of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. “The Queen is feeling under the weather today and has decided not to attend this morning’s service at St Paul’s Cathedral,’’ Buckingham Palace said in a brief statement. Her absence meant all eyes were on Jolie, who was invited to Thursday’s service as a recipient of an honour from the Order, which is granted by the Queen on the advice of the UK Prime Minister. It is for distinguished services in connection with foreign affairs and service overseas. Jolie, 43, channelled some royal glamour in a simple and fitted stone-coloured mid-calf dress with matching gloves and hat. The event marked Jolie’s first public appearance since she slammed “selfish” reports on her court proceedings with ex-husband Brad Pitt earlier this month. Jolie furiously slammed court documents revealing she could lose custody of her kids if she does not allow Brad Pitt better access as a “misleading leak”. Her spokesman hit out at the “inaccurate and unfair picture” of the truth as she battles over access to their six children. It came after reports Jolie was told by a judge to help Pitt, 54, repair his relationship with the kids. In a statement, her spokesman said: “This misleading leak is not in the best interests of the children. “From the start, Angelina has been focused only on their health and needs, which is why it was so important that this last court hearing be conducted privately. “It’s deplorable that someone, for their own selfish reasons, leaked selective portions of the confidential and sealed court record to create an inaccurate and unfair picture of what is really happening.” MORE ROYALS: Meghan’s dad blasts the Queen<doc-sep>It seems that a summer afternoon out in London calls for a silver screen–worthy hair transformation—at least in the realm of Angelina Jolie. The actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian marked a Thursday service at St Paul’s Cathedral with a confection of an updo that was a noteworthy departure from the textured, loose lengths and polished blowouts she tends to favor for outings with her children or speaking engagements at the United Nations. Brushed smoothly back, intricately wound, and secured in a chignon-like style, the clean, elegant updo offered a jumping-off point for a structural alabaster fascinator that was in keeping with traditional British protocol for formal events. Taking a cue perhaps from the elegance of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Jolie added a pair of ivory gloves to match her cowl-neck Ralph & Russo dress. But lest her fellow guests forget that she’s Hollywood royalty, Jolie left two movie-star signatures firmly intact: an exposed sliver of skin revealing two delicate lines of Arabic script tattooed on her forearm and—what else?—femme fatale smoky lids.<doc-sep>Angelina Jolie visited St. Paul's Cathedral in London Thursday to attend a ceremony for the 200th anniversary of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, an award which recognizes the work of service officers or diplomats in a foreign country. While at the Anglican church, the actress and activist made her way to the American Memorial Chapel, which honors 28,000 American soldiers who were stationed in the U.K. during World War II and lost their lives. In exclusive photos obtained by BAZAAR.com, Jolie looks moved as she looks through the names of the deceased veterans inside the chapel. Jolie places her hand over her heart while reading the 500-page, leather-bound book that contains the inscription, "Defending freedom from the fierce assault of tyranny they shared the honor and the sacrifice. Though they died before the dawn of victory their names and deed will long be remembered where ever free men live.” The chapel in St. Paul's contains many references to the U.S. The three stained-glass windows contain the state symbols of every American state, the wood carvings contain the birds, plants and flowers of America, and in one panel are a space rocket and stars — a nod to the American space program. Jolie has been a fierce supporter of American soldiers and veterans. In 2014, the actress donated an undisclosed sum of money to The Independent’s Christmas campaign for homeless veterans, according to the publication. That year, Jolie was also named an honorary dame by Queen Elizabeth II, which allows her to attend royal events such as the St. Paul's ceremony. The Queen was expected to officiate Thursday's ceremony but, according to royal reporters, canceled because she was feeling unwell. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Angelina Jolie just had a royal fashion moment! The 43-year-old actress-director attended the Service of Commemoration and Dedication at St. Paul's Cathedral in London on Thursday, and looked stunning in a custom cowl neck dove grey look from Ralph & Russo, one of Meghan's Markle's go-to designers. With a matching fascinator, gloves, clutch and sparkling broach, Jolie was the picture of sophistication. The event marked the 200th anniversary of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, an honor that is awarded to men and women who hold high office or who render extraordinary or important non-military service in a foreign country. It can also be conferred for important or loyal service in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs. Jolie was invited as a recipient of an honour from the Order. Leon Neal - WPA Pool/Getty Images Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II was set to attend the event, but pulled out at the last minute due to illness, Buckingham Palace confirmed. Her cousin, Prince Edward, went in her place. "The Queen is feeling under the weather today and has decided not to attend this morning's service at St Paul's Cathedral marking the 200th anniversary of the Order of St Michael and St George," the palace said in a press release. "Her Majesty will be represented by The Duke of Kent as Grand Master of the Order." Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Leon Neal - WPA Pool/Getty Images Leon Neal - WPA Pool/Getty Images This isn't the first time Jolie, who is currently busy filming Maleficent 2, has mingled with the royal family. In 2014, Queen Elizabeth made the actress an honorary dame thanks to her efforts in co-founding the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, which raises global awareness of violence against women. In April's ITV special, The Queen's Green Planet, the mother of six — Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, and 9-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox — discussed what she wants her children to learn from Her Majesty. "This is why it’s important to plant a tree, that’s the biggest message I can teach my kids, and it’s something that they’ve certainly learned from Her Majesty and her message," Jolie said of her trips to Namibia with her children, according to People. "They ask me, 'Why is it so important to her?' You know when you sit up at night in a tent with your kids and they say, 'Why does the Queen of England care about planting trees in Africa?'" Jolie continued: "What it comes down to is you say to the kids, 'You know really, you don’t know her, you can’t understand all that it means to be a queen and all that,' but you try to say, 'You know she’s just this really lovely lady who really cares about people around the world, and she really cares about the future, and she wants your grandkids and her grandkids to be able to be running around, enjoying nature and other cultures, and the importance of other cultures. She thinks that really matters and I agree with her.'" Here's more on Jolie's connection to the royal family: Angelina Jolie Reveals the Lesson Her Children Learned From Queen Elizabeth This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page. RELATED CONTENT: Brad Pitt Looking to 'Mend Fences' With Angelina Jolie, Choosing Fatherhood Over Dating (Exclusive) Angelina Jolie Visits Iraq on UN Trip Amid New Custody Agreement With Brad Pitt Billy Bob Thornton Reveals the 'Only Reason' He and Ex-Wife Angelina Jolie Aren't Still Together Related Gallery<doc-sep>
Angelina Jolie made a jaw-dropping appearance at St. Paul's Cathedral in London today for a royal ceremony honoring the 200th anniversary of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. The actress was made an honorary dame in the order by the Queen in 2014, The Telegraph reports. Jolie looked elegant as ever in a pale gray Ralph & Russo dress with a draped bateau neckline and a ruffled detail at the waist. (Real-life Duchess Meghan Markle wore the designer for her engagement portraits, and was rumored to wear the label on her wedding day.) For the finishing touches, Jolie added matching gloves, a chain strap clutch, and silver pumps. She even got the fascinator down. The Queen, who was supposed to officiate the ceremony, cancelled since she is feeling unwell, according to royal reporters. The Duke of Kent, Her Majesty's cousin, filled in for her at the ceremony. Also missing were other recognizable royals including Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton (who is on maternity leave), Prince William (who is on an official trip to Israel), Prince Charles, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The Queen named Jolie an Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George four years ago to recognize Jolie's work fighting sexual violence and "services to UK foreign policy," per The Telegraph. Now, Jolie is working on the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, which aims to create a network of forest conservation projects around the world. “The [project] means so much and will mean so much to so many people,” Jolie, an active conservationist, said in the documentary The Queen’s Green Planet. “So, for us to come here and say to the children, ‘This is why it’s important to plant a tree,’ that’s the biggest message I can teach my kids and it’s something that they’ve certainly learned from Her Majesty and her message,” she added in the film. It was previously rumored that Jolie would attend the royal wedding last month after she was seen arriving in London ahead of the ceremony. Though she was ultimately a no-show, today's appearance gave us an idea of what her wedding day outfit could've been like. Can Angelina Jolie just attend every royal event going forward please?