Helen Mirren turned Correspondent’s Dinner into Prince tribute because she’s the coolest

Last night’s annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner (otherwise known as “nerd prom”) not only featured the final wisecracks from President Barack Obama, but also a touching tribute to Prince from the inimitable Helen Mirren.

Mirren arrived decked out in a lovely, deep purple lace dress with a purple tattoo in the shape of the “love symbol” under her collarbone. In 1993, Prince famously changed his name to the symbol as part of a contract battle with Warner Brothers, adopting the identify of “The Artist Formerly Known As Prince.” Though he later returned to using his name after his contract ended, he continued to use the symbol as imagery throughout his career.

The Oscar award winning Mirren, who was seated at a table with Joe Biden and John Kerry, and was called out by President Obama simply for being awesome, confirmed to the Washington Post that the striking tattoo was indeed temporary, though we have to say she can really rock it.

“I’d love to say that Prince himself did it in 1988 or something, instead of me in the bathroom this morning,” she said.

“I admire great artists, and he was a great artist,” she added.

Honestly, if anyone can rock a collarbone version of the love symbol in a more permanent way, it’s definitely Helen Mirren. The legendary British actress has been known throughout her career for bordering on the outrageous, so a tattoo seems right in line for the Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (that’s seriously her title, and we bow before her).

Mirren is one of a number of celebrities that shared tribute to the legendary performer, who was found dead in his home in Minnesota on April 21. There has been an outpouring of love and support for the late 57-year-old, including heart-wrenching posts from Justin Timberlake, Oprah,  Spike Lee, and special performances by the cast of Hamilton, among others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l82Zhciehes?feature=oembed