By Sarah Smithon Monday, 12 Feb 2007 Dame Helen Mirren was awarded the Bafta for best actress for her performance in The Queen, beating other British stars to the prize.
Having emerged as the favourite to win an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, Dame Helen was chosen ahead of Dame Judi Dench for her performance in Notes on a Scandal.
Thanking her voice coach for helping her to sound "less like Barbara Windsor and more like Elizabeth Windsor", Dame Helen dedicated her award to British actor Ian Richardson, who died recently.
"He believed in me and therefore I believed in myself," she said upon accepting her award.
"I wouldn't be her if it wasn't for him."
While The Queen also won the best film award, Forest Whitaker received the best actor award for his performance in The last King of Scotland, which was also named Outstanding British Film of the Year.
Despite a raft of award nominations, the latest James Bond film Casino Royale was overlooked in all but one of the categories - receiving the prize for best sound.
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