THE ROYAL POWERHOUSE

Eliza Butterworth, 28, starred in Netflix drama The Last Kingdom. Her West End debut was in The Windsors: Endgame as Princess Eugenie

How did it feel finishing filming on The Last Kingdom?

Very emotional – the cast and crew had become like family. I started off just in a few scenes but as the series progressed my part became bigger. In each season I’d age ten years, so by the end I had grandchildren who in real life were the same age as me!

Are you anything like the very forceful Lady Aelswith you play?

She and King Alfred were a power couple – the Beyoncé and Jay-Z of Saxon times – whereas I see myself as quite flighty and bubbly. That said, at drama school they saw a gravitas in me and always had me play a lot of powerful, fierce characters.

How was it to go from that role to playing Princess Eugenie?

I had to go from something very dark to something very silly, but the toughest bit was getting Eugenie’s voice right; I had to set my jaw in a really strange position. All my friends were begging me to record a message for their voicemails.

What’s your secret passion?

I can play the drums and I’m obsessed with The Great British Bake Off.

What’s your upcoming Sky series

A Town Called Malice about?

It’s the story of a crime family in the Costa del Sol set in the 80s, with great music and fashion.