The Duchess of Edinburgh has made a surprise guest appearance on The Archers.
A longtime fan of the BBC Radio 4 drama, she appeared in Thursday’s (July 9) episode in the show’s 75th anniversary year.
She appeared at the fictional Borchester Show in her real-life role as honorary president of Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf).
Behind-the-scenes photos from the secret recording, which took place in May at the BBC Mailbox in Birmingham, show the duchess smiling in the studio as she stood in front of her script and microphone.
The Duchess of Edinburgh recording with cast members Susie Riddell (left) and Tim Bentnick (Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)
She met with cast members including Tim Bentnick, who plays David Archer, David Troughton, who stars as Tony Archer, and Susie Riddell, who plays Tracy Horrobin.
In one behind-the-scenes moment, the duchess was seen chatting with Charles Collingwood, who plays Brian Aldridge, and was shown covering her mouth with her hand in an apparent show of either shock or surprise as she chatted with him.
The programme’s website had teased her guest appearance ahead of the broadcast, stating: “Nerves are frayed on the day of the Borchester Show, and a surprise guest makes their mark.”
Which other members of the Royal Family have appeared on The Archers?
The duchess is not the first royal to appear in the long-running drama.
In 2011, the then-Duchess of Cornwall acted out her role as president of the National Osteoporosis Society in a special episode to mark The Archers’ 60th anniversary.
Princess Margaret also appeared in the show in 1984 as a guest at a charity fashion event at Grey Gables.
The Archers has been a staple of British radio since 1951 and has clocked up more than 20,000 episodes – more than any other continuous drama serial in the world.
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The show draws in millions of listeners who follow the daily lives and struggles of Ambridge’s residents.
Pressing topical issues such as climate change, the economic challenges faced by farmers, alcoholism, modern slavery, domestic abuse and coercive control have all been tackled by the show.
What’s been your favourite guest appearance on The Archers? Let us know in the comments.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.news.yahoo.com ’
