Coronation Street actor Andrew Still said the Princess Royal took a “real interest” and was “very knowledgeable” about the soap’s acid attack storyline when she visited the set.
ITV will see episodes this week covering the upcoming trial involving Still’s character Justin Rutherford, which follows on from his attack in Weatherfield and stalking of Daisy Midgeley.
In a previous programme, Justin attempted to throw acid on Daisy, played by Charlotte Jordan, but Ryan Connor (Ryan Prescott) stepped in the way and took the force of the attack.
Recent scenes will see Ryan reluctant to take the witness box to testify against Justin as the stalker has his day in court.
When asked about his most memorable moment on the soap, Still said: “Definitely meeting Princess Anne.
“When else are you going to have the chance to say that you’ve met a royal in the Rovers Returns – it’s pretty mad.
“That’s like ‘tell your grandkids’ type of thing. She took a great interest in the acid attack storyline so I got a chance to talk to her which I hadn’t really expected.
“She was very knowledgeable and knew what was going on in the storyline.”
Anne had visited ITV Studios in March and met the cast and production team involved with the storyline.
The soap worked with The Katie Piper Foundation and Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) – of which the princess is a patron – to ensure the episodes are accurate and authentic.
Still also revealed more about the upcoming trial of Justin, which has been filmed in Bolton and used the same defendant box that Happy Valley’s Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton) jumps out of during the final series of the hit crime drama.
He said: “The days were long and the very last scene we filmed was when Justin takes the stand and I had like a three page monologue to say so it was quite nerve-racking.
“I remember waiting all week for this one big scene. I felt a lot of nervous energy going into that scene which was good because that’s exactly how Justin would feel too because it’s his last big gamble.”
Still also described Justin as being in “survival mode” and someone who is a “truly phenomenal liar”.
He added: “He is going to put on the full charm offensive and he will use all of his manipulation tactics to win the jury round.”
Coronation Street airs on ITV1.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here.
