Not just Meghan Markle: British royals who tried acting, from Sarah Ferguson’s Friends cameo and Prince Charles on Coronation Street, to Queen Elizabeth’s turn alongside Daniel Craig’s 007

Oct 17 , 2021

From full length interviews to short cameos, find out which members of the Royal Family made appearances in films and on TV! Photos: NBC Universal, AFP, Getty Images, Coronation Street/Facebook

Meghan Markle’s racy early film roles might get all the clicks today, but she’s hardly the only British royal to have made a turn in front of the cameras. Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Charles, Sarah Ferguson and even Queen Elizabeth herself have all made cameo roles on screens big and small.

Meghan Markle

The Duchess of Sussex may have given up her Hollywood dream to marry Prince Harry in 2018, after appearing in television series Suits and starring in a few forgettable Hallmark films, namely Dater’s Handbook and When Sparks Fly.

But she went back to the big screen after leaving the royal fold when she narrated the Disney film Elephant.

Queen Elizabeth

And who can forget the queen and her corgis in that mini James Bond movie with Daniel Craig, directed by Danny Boyle for the 2012 Olympics in London.

The story had Craig escorting her majesty from Buckingham Palace to a waiting helicopter, with the queen then appearing to parachute from the aircraft into the Olympic Stadium.

Prince William

During the 2020 lockdown, Prince William appeared in a comedy sketch alongside British actor Stephen Fry on the BBC’s Big Night In. William appeared via Zoom in the short sketch to help raise money to fight the coronavirus.

Fry plays Lord Melchett, head of the royal household, with the comedy dialogue poking fun at the troubles of home-schooling. Fry recommends the prince watch TV shows such as viral Netflix lockdown hit Tiger King, to which the Duke replies: “I tend to avoid shows about royalty.”

Prince Charles

It is well known that Prince Charles trod the boards while studying at the University of Cambridge. But since then, the heir to the British throne has always appeared in Britain’s longest running soap, Coronation Street, for its 40th anniversary special in 2000.

He played himself visiting the fictional district of Weatherfield in Manchester where Coronation Street is located, when the local fictional councillor is presented to him.

Princess Beatrice

For a royal turnaround, Princess Beatrice played a lady-in-waiting to Emily Blunt’s Queen Victoria in the movie The Young Victoria in 2009. It was a non-speaking part, and her mother, Sarah Ferguson, was one of the movie’s producers.

Queen Victoria was Beatrice’s great-great-great-great grandmother. She was fifth in line to the throne at the time of filming. It was the first time a royal had appeared in a major movie.

Sarah Ferguson

Talking of Fergie, who remembers her cameo in 1990s sitcom Friends? The one where they go to London for Ross’ wedding? Joey goes sightseeing and bumps into Fergie.

It was 1998, the fourth season finale, and it was a time when Fergie-bashing was rife in the UK. She did the show because her daughters Beatrice and Eugenie were fans.

Zara Tindall

Zara and Mike Tindall during their stint on Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear show in 2017. Photo: captured from YouTube/ BBC America

Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, appeared in several films, including Concussion and In Between Black and White, both made in 2013, and The Right to Live in 2017.

Tindall, known as an equestrian and Olympian, also appeared with her husband, ex-rugby player Mike Tindall, on Top Gear in 2019. They took turns racing around a track in Toyotas. Mike was faster than his wife by one second.

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Royalty

Queen Elizabeth strutted out with James Bond and ‘jumped’ from a helicopter in a memorable scene for the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony
Sarah Ferguson enjoyed a turn on Friends while her daughter Princess Beatrice was an extra on The Young Victoria