[imagesource: ITV]

Tom Cruise is no longer in South Africa, I guess.

Instead, he’s in Windsor for a special appearance in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.

The actor sat down with Philip Schofield and Julie Etchingham on Sunday for a special programme honouring the monarch’s 70-years on the throne.

The show – The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: A Gallop Through History – was a live broadcast from the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Upon arriving, Cruise was “mobbed” by a crowd of fans:

Image: James Whatling

Once on the Jubilee sofa, the actor could safely express his love for the royals, per The Daily Mail:

Of the monarch’s milestone occasion, Tom added: ‘She is just a woman that I greatly admire. She has tremendous devotion and I admire her dignity. I love the history. I have great respect for her. It’s wonderful, I really love the tradition. What a moment!’

Continuing his praise, the Top Gun icon gushed: ‘Presidents, world leaders, people of all walks of life, not just in America but the world, knows dignity and devotion and kindness – something I’ve always felt about her.’

That’s nice and all, but sitting down to chat to Phil and Julie about his love for the Queen soon segued into what many have criticised as “ill-judged” promotional work, reported YorkshireLive.

The chat turned into a punt for his upcoming movie sequel, Top Gun: Maverick:

@Charls_25 said: “Why are we flogging top gun 2 on a program about the Queen??!! No, no, no, no NO!!!!!!! #queensjubilee” #longlivethequeen

@emmington said: “So sad to cheapen the #queensjubilee @ITV by using it as a publicity stunt for @TomCruise Very sad and disappointing. This isn’t the time for advertising. Such a shame”

Yikes.

The show also featured other guests like Helen Mirren, Damian Lewis, and Alan Titchmarsh. There were also performances by Katherine Jenkins and 1 300 performers with 500 horses for a spectacular showstopper.

Tom’s brush with royalty isn’t over with this appearance, though.

Apparently, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be attending the UK premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in London. There’s also a chance that the Queen, his special guest, will pitch up.

[sources:dailymail&yorkshirelive]