Coronation Street legend William Roache says he 'fell in love' with Her Majesty the Queen from the moment he first met her. The Corrie icon met Queen Elizabeth II on several occasions.
William, best known for playing Ken Barlow in Britain's longest running soap since its first episode on December 9 1960, has described the first time he met the monarch when he was based in Jamaica as a young officer with the Royal Welch Fusiliers. At the time the Queen and her husband Prince Philip were on the longest Commonwealth Tour lasting from November 1953 to May 1954.
"She was so beautiful," William explained 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."
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The Queen visited the set of Coronation Street twice during her 70 year reign, the first time at its original studios in at Granada Studios in Quay Street, Manchester in 1982 and again in 2021 at its current set at Trafford Wharf. William, who celebrated his 90th birthday in April, says she hasn't changed.
"Her eyes were beautiful blue and very alert", he said. "And she didn't wear glasses - but there was no difference. On the seven times that I met her, it's always been the protocols and the rehearsals that have been the problem.
"Actually meeting her has always been very easy and very delightful, very comforting and usually full of humour." William was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2001 and he received an OBE in her New Year Honours list in December 2021.
The cast of Coronation Street have 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) following the release of a statement by Buckingham Palace.
The Prince of Wales is now King, having acceded to the throne immediately on the death of his mother. The Queen was the first British monarch in history to reach her Platinum Jubilee, and has died just three months after the national celebrations in June.
She paid a special visit to the Coronation Street set in Salford on July 8, 2021 following the soap marking its 60th anniversary in December 2020. The monarch was given a whistle-stop tour of the famous street, chatting to members of the cast who lined the cobbles for her arrival.
She started her visit by chatting to William and Barbara Knox who plays Rita Tanner, Sue Nicholls who plays Audrey Roberts and Helen Worth, known to millions of soap fans as Gail. They greeted the Queen with bows and curtsies outside the Rovers Return before thanking her for coming and lifting their spirits.
"You know you are like a ray of sunshine," Barbara told her. "And you’ve given us all such a lift (with) you coming, thank you very very much indeed. We all absolutely adore you, the world adores you."
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