Dame Judi Dench joined the scores of Londoners bemoaning the fact they did not catch a glimpse of this morning’s eclipse.

Speaking at the unveiling of a sculpture of St Paul at the Actors’ Church in Covent Garden, Dame Judi said she had not managed to see the eclipse from her London home.

She said: “We could have seen the eclipse if the sun had been out but we didn’t see it. We pretended we saw it but we didn’t.”

Judi Dench
(Jonathan Brady/PA)

Dame Judi, who revealed three years ago that she suffers from a degenerative eye condition, said that as the sun came out that it was the perfect moment to welcome a new piece of art to Covent Garden.

She said: “It seems perfectly right to me that on the day of the eclipse, which none of us managed to see, the sun has come out. What a great way to welcome Bruce Denny’s lovely statue.

“I’m a Quaker so my faith is a great part of my life. I’m thrilled because this is the actors’ church and I think it’s rather suitable that it’s here.”

The actress, who unveiled the sculpture at St Paul’s Church alongside former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, also attended a service at the church.

Judi Dench
(Jonathan Brady/PA)

Dame Judi sang hymns among the congregation and received a toy teddy bear as a gift from the Rector, the Reverend Simon Grigg, who said: “A piece of gossip came to me this week that you, Dame Judi, have an abiding love of teddy bears, so I couldn’t resist.”

Dame Judi, who will be starring in The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse alongside Mark Gatiss and Timothy West on election night, said she was particularly looking forward to performing with her daughter, Finty Williams.

She said: “Im going to be performing in it with my daughter in a mother and daughter role and I’m absolutely thrilled about it.”