TV stars William Roache and Matt Baker have praised the King and the work of the royal family as they were honoured at an investiture ceremony in Windsor Castle.
Roache, who holds the world record for the longest-serving TV actor in a continuous role for playing Ken Barlow in Coronation Street, was awarded his OBE at the royal residence in Berkshire on Wednesday morning.
Also honoured was Countryfile presenter Matt Baker, actor Damian Lewis, drug company AstraZeneca’s chief executive Sir Pascal Sorlot, and film director Sir John Boorman.
Speaking to the PA news agency after meeting Charles, Roache said: “Oh I love the royal family – I met the Queen about seven times.
“Charles is really, really friendly and more easy-going possibly in a sense.
“But the Queen was even – when she came (to visit the Coronation street set) less than a year ago – she always listened, she was attentive she was on the ball, and didn’t miss a trick. She was very bright.
“And they always love the humour, all of them, which I like. I’m very fond of the royal family.”
The 90-year-old actor said he and the King, 74, had chatted about their respective workloads during the ceremony, adding: “Charles was lovely – very friendly.
“He said: ‘Not still working are you?’; I said: ‘Yes, just had two ex-girlfriends on the show’.
“He said: ‘Oh that must have been work’, and I said: ‘May I wish you a long and joyful reign sir?’, and he said: ‘Thank you, that will be a lot of work too’.”
Baker, who was awarded MBE for his work for the charity Children In Need, also praised the royal family.
The 44-year-old said: “I’ve done a lot with the royal family over the years, I really have.
“I think for Britain, I love the concept of the royal family,” he added, reminiscing about how mucking out the Queen’s horse Emma was a real highlight in his TV career.
He also shared that he and Charles had spoken during the investiture about a herd of Hebridean sheep the presenter bought off the then-Prince of Wales during the filming of Countryfile.
“I told him, because I was feeding them this morning before I came – obviously with it being so frosty – and they’re still going strong so we had a bit of a natter about it,” he said.
