The Duchess of Cornwall has revealed the royal family voted for Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis on the BBC show during a visit to the set of EastEnders this week.
Camilla also called deaf actor Ayling-Ellis a “star” during the visit, which saw her and Prince Charles greet the cast and crew of the soap after they had finished filming an episode in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
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.”
When Ayling-Ellis asked if the Queen watched Strictly, Camilla said: “I think she does. She probably watched you. You have to find out.”
Ayling-Ellis, who plays Frankie Lewis in the show, told the PA News Agency following the visit that Camilla also mentioned her grandchildren watched Strictly.
She 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.”
During the visit, Prince Charles also offered his coat to Letitia Dean, who plays Sharon Watts in the soap.
After Dean told Charles he was “very wise” to be wearing a coat, Charles took off his jacket and wrapped it around Dean’s shoulders.
Dean, who appeared in EastEnders’ first episode in 1985, later told Charles: “Thanks for lending me your coat, it smelt rather lovely.”
Dean then presented Charles with a street sign of Albert Square covered in cast signatures, alongside Steve McFadden who plays Phil Mitchell.
Camilla asked Danny Dyer, who is leaving the show after nine years, about his exit storyline, to which he said: “Tune in, it’s going to be a big one.”
Dyer later admitted he didn’t mention his Who Do You Think You Are episode to Charles, in which found out he was related to royalty.
“It just don’t [sic] go down well does it? I don’t think they’d believe me,” he explained. “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. Very random to see the royals, you know, up close they were very charming, really chatty, they’ve got mad faces when you’re close.
“So excited to have them here, meet them and introduce them to the Square.”
Additional reporting by PA
