The British Soap Opera Queen Elizabeth Can't Get Enough Of
Queen Elizabeth may not exactly lead a normal life, but she does enjoy a good television marathon. Her favorite show is "The Kumars at No. 42," a comedy that saw a fictional British Indian family produce a chat show with celebrity guests from their home in Wembley, London. This amazing insight into the monarch's TV habits came from journalist Phil Jones, who after leaving BBC Radio 2 decided to share a conversation he had with the queen back in 2001 for The New Statesman.
Jones said that when she revealed her favorite show, the queen "even more astonishingly, proceeded to recite some of the one-liners from the grandma character, played by the brilliant Meera Syal." But "The Kumars at No. 42" isn't the only show that Elizabeth is known to be a fan of. According to the Mirror, she would often watch seasons of "The Bill," an ITV police drama that is actually set to return 12 years after coming to an end.
Queen Elizabeth is also a massive fan of British soap operas, especially one set on the cobbles of a particular Manchester street.
Queen Elizabeth visited the set of Coronation Street for its 60th anniversary
Yes, the queen is quite a big fan of ITV's "Coronation Street." Set in the fictional town of Weatherfield, the soap opera follows the lives of its working-class residents and the drama that unfolds between them. It's currently the world's longest-running soap (via NDTV), and celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2021.
And what would a "Corrie" celebration be without one of its biggest fans? Queen Elizabeth made a visit to the set in July (via BBC News), walking alongside its famous cobbled street as she met the cast and crew. But before the monarch even considered walking on the uneven surface, Kate Spencer (who plays Grace Vickers) warned the monarch that it's a particularly hard surface to walk on in heels. In response, the queen laughed and said, "No, I know. I've been told. Probably better not."
Queen Elizabeth visited the set for 40 minutes, and even got the opportunity to have a look inside the studio to have a look at the interior of The Rovers Return — a central part of the soap's identity.
The queen was annoyed when she had to miss episodes of the soap
Queen Elizabeth certainly had the time of her life visiting the "Coronation Street" set. And while the Daily Mail suggests that the monarch follows contending British soap "EastEnders" more closely than "Corrie," the queen was certainly not amused when she missed episodes due to a visit from then-President George W. Bush due to "security equipment interfering with her aerial," per Hello! magazine.
During a segment on Sara Cox's BBC Radio 2 show in 2019, a listener shared an anecdote that they sent the monarch their own recordings of "Coronation Street," so she could catch up on the episodes she missed during the presidential visit. While the queen does record her favorite shows when she's busy, according to the South China Morning Post, she was so thankful for what the listener did that she sent them a letter expressing her gratitude. "The Queen greatly appreciated your kind thoughts and thanks you very much for thinking of her as you did," the letter read.