EastEnders’ own “princess” Sharon Watts was kept warm by a real-life royal yesterday – when Prince Charles lent her his coat on a visit to the set.
The Prince of Wales was joined by wife Camilla to watch the cast of the soap film scenes in which they celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee with a street party.
Letitia Dean, who plays Sharon, said she was thrilled when Charles, 73, placed his jacket on her shoulders after noticing she was cold during a group photograph outside The Queen Vic. The chivalrous act was met with a round of applause after she had told him: “You’ve got your coat on, very wise.”
Letitia, who appeared in the first episode of the soap in 1985, told Charles: “Thanks for lending me your coat, it smelt rather lovely.”
The actress, 54, added: “We are all incredibly proud of the show but to have a visit from the royal family makes it all the more special
“It was made all the more special for me when The Prince of Wales handed me his coat to keep me warm. What a gentleman, what a couple, what – as we say in EastEnders – a proper family.” Camilla, 74, told deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, who plays Frankie Lewis, she had voted for her in last year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Afterwards Rose said: “It is amazing. 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.”
The Duchess of Cornwall, who was wearing a silk dress and cream coat by Anna Valentine, called Rose a “star”, adding: “I don’t know how you did all those dances.”
The actress, 27, asked if the Queen watched Strictly, and Camilla replied: “I think she does. She probably watched you.” Danny Dyer, who plays Mick Carter, told Camilla he is leaving the show after nine years, adding: “I used to make movies before moving into soap-land, but I’m leaving this year. Maybe I will come back.”
When Camilla asked about his exit storyline, Danny said: “Tune in, it’s going to be a big one.”
Later the actor, 44, admitted he did not mention his Who Do You Think You Are episode, in which he discovered he was descended from William the Conqueror.
He said: “It just don’t go down well, does it? I met Charles before and I dropped it in, he just looked at me strange but I suppose we are related. I am 147,000 (in line) to the throne, not that I’ve Googled it.”
Danny described meeting the royal couple as “very random”. He added: “They were very charming, really chatty, they’ve got mad faces when you’re close.”
Brian Conley, who plays Brian Cant, said he and Camilla enjoyed a giggle over the nylon Union Jack suit he was wearing for the scenes: “She said she had hand-warmers inside her gloves and didn’t want to shake my hand too hard in case I caught fire with all the static, it was very funny.” Gillian Taylforth, who plays Kathy Beale, said Camilla told her she’d watched her on the soap in the 80s.
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Gillian, 66, said: “She said: ‘I remember Angie and Dirty Den, I’ve got a few episodes to catch up on.’”
The royal couple also met stars including Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown), Natalie Cassidy (Sonia Fowler) and Tameka Empson (Kim Fox).
Later, Letitia was joined by Steve McFadden, who plays hard man Phil Mitchell, to present Charles with an Albert Square street sign autographed by the cast. Steve, 63, told Charles: “We hope it hangs on the mantelpiece.”
The street party scenes will be shown during the real platinum jubilee celebrations in early June.
The royals were waved off from the BBC studios in Elstree, Herts, with a rousing cheer from the cast.
The soap’s boss Chris Clenshaw said: “This is one moment that will go down in EastEnders history.”
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