To mark its 70th birthday, The Duchess of Cornwall visited the longest-running daily soap opera, on BBC Radio 4, The Archers. On air since 1951, the show has tempted the Duchess and other royalty to participate and make an appearance over the years. In honour of the Duchess’ visit, Royal Central is taking a look back at those memorable appearances.
In June 1984, for the first time, a member of the Royal Family took part in a BBC drama when Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon played herself in an episode of the long-running soap opera. The brief scene featured the Princess as a surprise guest at a fictional fashion show fundraiser in Ambridge. Originally, the intention was to have the Duke of Westminster appear in his capacity as a chairman of the charity, at the invitation of Caroline Bone, who was a relation in the fiction. Princess Margaret would soon be asked to take part too in her role as NSPCC (The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) president.
Instead of travelling to Birmingham for the recording, the Princess recorded in the library at Kensington Palace for Grey Gables. Producer William Smethurst said at the time: “The Princess quickly mastered the microphone techniques required for radio drama.”
The Princess’ appearance cemented the soap opera’s reputation and position in the soap opera firmament.
In February 2011, the Duchess of Cornwall would arrive in the fictional village of Ambridge to appear in her capacity as the President of the National Osteoporosis Society. At the time, a spokesperson for Clarence House described the Duchess as a “huge fan of The Archers for many years.” They added that the Duchess was keen to help the show celebrate its 60th anniversary and be able to have an opportunity to talk about osteoporosis. The Duchess filmed her cameo at Clarence House.
Since its premiere in January 1951, the BBC radio drama has aired over 19,5000 episodes. Other famous guests who have been featured on the radio show include Dame Judi Dench, Sir Terry Wogan, and Alan Titchmarsh.
