The Duchess of Cornwall has called Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis a “star”, adding that her family had voted for her on the BBC One show - while on a visit to the set of EastEnders. Charles and Camilla were guided around Albert Square on the Elstree set before meeting the soap’s cast and crew who had finished filming an episode in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Deaf actress Ayling-Ellis, who plays Frankie Lewis in the show, presented Camilla with a bouquet of flowers, adding that it was an “honour” to meet the duchess. Camilla, who was wearing a silk dress and cream coat by Anna Valentine, said: “Rose, the Strictly star.
“I said we were all voting for Rose. I don’t know how you did all those dances.”
Ayling-Ellis then asked if the Queen watched Strictly, to which Camilla said: “I think she does. She probably watched you. You have to find out.”
After the meet-and-greet, the actress said: “It was really funny because she’s a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing and she mentioned that she voted for me which is so lovely, and her grandchildren watch it. It is amazing, so lovely.
"I mean come on, it's the royal family voting for me. Sometimes you forget how many people watch the show, I am mind-blown.”
A special moment came during a group photograph of the cast and crew alongside the royals. Letitia Dean, who plays Sharon Watts in the soap, said to the Prince of Wales: “You’ve got your coat on, very wise” which prompted Charles to take his jacket off and place it around her shoulders.
The chivalrous act was met with a round of applause. Dean, who appeared in the first episode of the soap in 1985, later told him: “Thanks for lending me your coat, it smelled rather lovely.”
She then presented Charles with a street sign of Albert Square covered in cast signatures, alongside Steve McFadden who plays Phil Mitchell. He told Charles: “On behalf of the cast, we hope it hangs on the mantelpiece.”
The royal couple were shown around the new set of EastEnders, which was originally due to be finished in 2018. During the meet-and-greet, Camilla told actress Gillian Taylforth, who plays Kathy Beale, that she used to watch her on EastEnders when it first aired.
Taylforth said: “She said we were a lot younger then, and that it’s nice to see the old faces. I said I was in it for 15 years and then left and came back from the dead."
In 2001, the Queen visited soap queen Dame Barbara Windsor, who played Peggy Mitchell, on the EastEnders set. The royal visited the Queen Vic, strolled around Albert Square and through the EastEnders street market, meeting stars of the show.
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