What famous royals were cut from one of the most well-known film franchises?
What royal's tv appearance affected her treatment in front of the press?
Keep watching to learn all about the Windsor family’s appearances in film and television.
The British royal family has long maintained an image of stoic sophistication.
It’s hard to imagine them taking in the chaotic amusements of the silver screen. In reality,
quite a few members of the House of Windsor have gotten a kick out of acting over the years.
To celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee,
marking 70 years of her reign, Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall,
appeared in an episode of the long-running soap opera EastEnders. But this is just
the tip of the iceberg. It wasn’t even Charles’ first time around the block.
The British heir to the throne made a quick cameo on Coronation Street back in
2000. In a live episode marking the show's 40th anniversary, Prince Charles made an appearance
alongside Sue Nicholls, who played Audrey Roberts, the wife of the Weatherfield mayor.
Prince Charles' portion of the episode was recorded in advance, as reported by Tatler,
but his brief time on camera still earned him a commemorative plaque on the Coronation Street set.
Apparently, His Royal Highness was the perfect gentleman to the cast.
Liz Dawn, who plays Vera Duckworth, received flowers from Prince Charles for her 60th birthday.
It’s a good thing that Charles is such a natural on TV sets, as it seems partaking
in the tradition of British "soaps" is a valuable rite of passage for any Brit.
Sarah Ferguson might have Charles beat as far as TV bragging rights. The Duchess of
York appeared on the hit TV show Friends in the midst of its meteoric hayday. In 1998,
Friends traveled across the pond for its two-part season 4 finale, following Ross’s wedding in
London. As Joey partakes in some tourist fun, he runs into Sarah Ferguson. We see their meeting as
a recording on Joey’s video camera. The duchess remarks on Joey’s hilarious Union Jack hat:
“Joey says you don’t really like his hat, but I think it’s kinda dashing.”
In her book I’ll Be There For You: The One About Friends, pop culture enthusiast Kelsey Miller
notes that Ferguson's daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice,
were fans of the show and encouraged their mother to make the cameo,
which has now gone on to live in pop culture history. Miller writes:
"At a time when Fergie-bashing had become a national pastime, 'Friends' was a welcome relief.”
About a decade later, Princess Beatrice would go on to film her very own cameo.
Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter was featured in the 2009 film,
The Young Victoria. She portrayed one of the ladies-in-waiting of Queen Victoria,
her real life great-great-great-great grandmother. Emily Blunt took up the role
of Queen Victoria alongside the Princess. Though Princess Beatrice's role was small, it sparked
a conversation about her physical resemblance to the 19th-century monarch on social media.
Sarah Ferguson actually produced the historical drama about the coming-of-age
of the family's ancestor. However, the Latin Times reported that Queen
Elizabeth was not amused by the film her granddaughter appeared in. They claimed:
"Her Majesty reportedly became upset with all of
the historical inaccuracies featured in the project.”
In that case, it’s probably for the best that Prince William and Prince Harry took their film
careers in a more fantastical direction. Both Princes are reportedly huge Star Wars fans,
and in 2017 they did the best they could to get on screen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. You can
even watch them having their own epic lightsaber duel on the set on YouTube. The brothers were cast
as Stormtroopers, as actor John Boyega told the Hollywood Reporter. He recounted saying,
"It was a great experience."
He went on to say that the interaction was much more fun than it was intimidating,
as the royal brothers appeared to enjoy themselves on set.
However, Prince William and Prince Harry didn't make it into the final cut of the film,
according to Tatler. The British outlet reported on the reason the appearance was cut:
“The brothers were too tall,
which made them stand out among the ranks of their fellow space soldiers.”
Appearances or not, William and Harry both graced the red carpet
alongside their castmates at the film's premiere.
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