Meetings with the Queen, a run-in with Nigel Farage and hilarious family anecdotes were included in a wide-ranging talk by Maureen Lipman to a World Jewish Relief ladies' lunch in Highgate.

The actress also praised the humanitarian aid charity for supporting those in need in some of the most remote places.

"Who has heard of Zaporozhye or Transnistria? This work is major, it has to be done, and it is the difference between life and death. And we may not always get thanked for it but we keep on doing it because it's good for our souls. It is a wonderful reason that you're all here."

The lunch raised £4,500 towards WJR's work in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. It includes programmes such as the Livelihood Development Project, geared to equipping vulnerable adults with the skills they need to find work and secure a stable income.