The 81-year-old actress turned heads recently at the Chelsea Flower Show when she showed off a new tattoo.
The James Bond star revealed she had the Latin phrase ‘Carpe Diem’ (‘seize the day’) inked on her wrist as a birthday gift from her daughter.
The Dame is not the only high-profile older actress to go under the needle either, with Helen Mirren, 70; Susan Sarandon, 69; and Goldie Hawn, 70, all sporting tattoos done later in life.
A permanent reminder of a temporary feeling
And why not? Tattoos are not just for the young, with one in five Australians getting their first tattoo aged in their mid-30s or older[1].
You’re at an age when you know exactly what you like and comfortable with yourself and there’s no one to say ‘you’ll regret that when you’re older’.
My worry about getting a tattoo has always been the thought I might not want to live with it for the next 40 or 50 years (remember this famous ad for Tefal?) But fast forward several decades and I can’t help but think: Carpe Diem!
[1] ‘Tattoos in Australia’ report: McCrindle Research – March 11 2016