London, Sep 9 - Screen legend Helen Mirren bursts into tears every time she sees footage of British monarch Queen Elizabeth II as a young girl.

The veteran star picked up the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal as Elizabeth in the 2006 picture 'The Queen'.

Mirren admits she was first inspired to sign up to the role when she saw a short film which showed the monarch as a 12-year-old girl and the vision of the youngster already enslaved by her royal duties still makes the actress feel emotional, reports telegraph.co.uk.

'She's getting out of one of those enormous black cars. She'd obviously been told you get out and you put your hand out and you are polite to the man who will greet you. But she's doing it with such gravity and grace and dignity as a 12-year-old, and it makes me cry every time I look at it. It's beautiful,' said Mirren.