Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
The Scouse of Windsor
Prince Philip is a Royle fan
THE Royle Family have a big fan they might not have bargained for – inside the Royal Family.
Ricky Tomlinson, who played grumpy Jim in the Bafta-winning BBC sitcom, has told how Prince Philip loved watching it.
The 80-year-old star made the surprising revelation to Ralf Little – who played his son Antony in the show – while filming their new series Ricky & Ralf ’s Very Northern Road Trip for Gold TV.
The scouse actor claims the Queen disclosed her husband’s favourite telly programme to his Welsh pal and lookalike Wil Williams.
Wil met the Queen during a royal visit to Caernarfon Castle and told her how he has used his resemblance to Ricky to raise thousands of pounds for charities like Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Chortling, Ricky told Ralf: “She’s said to him, ‘I don’t
watch y our programme, but my husband loves it’.” Former Caernarfon Mayor Hywel Roberts has previously revealed how he introduced Wil to the Queen during the 2010 visit and told her about his link to The Royle Family. “She said, ‘Is it about a man in a vest sitting on a settee?’” said Hywel.
“And then Wil said, ‘Oh, you watch it, your Majesty?’ And she very quickly said, ‘I’ve seen it... once’.”
The hit show – written by Craig Cash, and Caroline Aherne who died of lung cancer in 2016 at 52 – ran for 14 years and last aired in 2012.
It also starred actress Sue Johnston who played Jim’s wife Barbara Royle.
She received an OBE for charity work from the Queen in 2009, and said then she suspected Her Majesty was not a fan.
“I doubt she watches it,” she said. “I bet William and Harry do though.
“But I don’t think it would be quite her thing.’’
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