Coronation Street legend Bill Roache has again shared his love for the Queen after paying his own tribute over the weekend. The soap star, known for playing Ken Barlow in the ITV soap, has been fortunate enough to meet the late Queen Elizabeth II several times over the years.
Over the weekend, days after it was confirmed Her Majesty had died peacefully, aged 96, at Balmoral on September 8, Bill said: "She was so beautiful," in an ITV interview. "I fell in love with her as a person and as an individual. I don't know whether that was heresy or something, but she is just a very comforting person to be with."
He has now appeared on a special episode of This Morning which aired on Monday (September 12) to share more of his own memories of meeting the Queen. Reflecting on the first time he met the late monarch, Bill, who celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this year, said: "I was 21 when I first met her, I was a young officer, and we were part of the reception committee. When she came on there was warmth and friendliness and a twinkle in the eye.
"As a Queen she was impeccable." On how he feels about her death, Bill went on to say: "I feel a great sense of personal loss. It’s like a member of your family has gone." But he had praise for the new King Charles III as he added: "But King Charles is equally as warm, I think he’ll be a wonderful King, he’ll spread it a little further with his own interests as a King but he’ll continue the Queen’s interest and warmth."
Bill was among one the veteran cast members who greeted the head of state when she visited in 1982 to open the show’s new set and more recently in 2021 as the soap celebrated its 60th year on screens. The 2021 visit was after the Covid lockdown period and reflected how important soaps had been during this time.
He told Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that he had used the time to compliment the Queen on also being "wonderful" during the difficult coronavirus period as well. He said: "What was so lovely about her was this readiness to smile, and you felt she wanted to laugh and had a beautiful laugh."
The actor noted that aside from her visits to the set, he had personally met her on a number of other occasions and that he was able to have had “quite a long chat” with her when she visited Preston, Lancashire. He said that during their conversation she had explained that she was about to go to Balmoral and was looking forward to the trip, a sentiment that has been shared numerous times about her Scottish Highlands home where she spent her final weeks.
The cast of Coronation Street has been sharing their tributes following the Queen's death on Thursday at the age of 96. Elizabeth II was the nation’s longest-reigning monarch, serving for 70 years. Her death was announced at around 6.30pm on Thursday (September 8) with the release of a statement by Buckingham Palace.
David Platt star Jack P Shepherd also took to his Instagram Story, sharing a special photo of the Queen flashing him a wide smile as she spoke to him on the cobbles. "Rest in peace," he simply penned. During the Queen's visit last year, it was revealed the Queen asked Ben Price, who plays Nick Tilsley: "Are you all nice?” as he stood alongside on-screen brother David. He replied: “I can confidently say Jack is a bad boy. There always has to be conflict."
Corrie youngster Jude Riordan, who plays Sam Blakeman in the ITV soap, shared a sweet drawing of the Queen walking away while holding hands with Paddington Bear, a nod to her surprise Jubilee appearance with the much-loved bear. "Thank you for everything," writing on the image read. Jude, 11 then wrote: "Rest in peace Queen Elizabeth 2nd. She's all me and my family and most of us have ever known. Sad sad day."
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