“Speaking of the image Americans have of British people, Dame Helen said: ‘It’s very important to let Americans know that we’re not just the royal family, there’s a lot more to us than that. I love the idiosyncrasy of the British people, I love the eccentric nature of the British people, their boldness in fashion and I think the Brits have a very good eye for taste. … It’s just nice to say we’re not snooty, stuck up, malevolent, malignant creatures as we’re so often portrayed. We’re actually kind of cool and hip!”’