The Duchess of Cornwall has said she becomes “ratty” if anyone disturbs her during an episode of The Archers.
At an event to celebrate 70 years of the radio drama, Camilla, 74, said she had “severe withdrawal symptoms” after the programme was forced off air during the first lockdown and urged its creators not to “let anything hinder your broadcasts”.
She told the programme’s cast and crew at a reception at Clarence House that the series had been her “faithful companion for a large part of my life” and that she was “very glad” it was back in full swing after a difficult period.
The BBC Radio 4 programme has been criticised for its handling of the early lockdown, when it was taken off air because actors were not allowed to record together. It went on to broadcast four episodes a week, mainly featuring monologues, with casts slimmed down due to the “sheer logistical complexity” of recording.
The duchess said: “Now let us look forward to the next 70 years in Ambridge. Please don’t let anything hinder your broadcasts. Remember that, in 1962, which some of us remember quite well, Harold Macmillan was forced to sack members of his cabinet. As he did so, he was heard to remark, ‘Interfering with the cabinet is as serious as interfering with The Archers’.”
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Camilla met about 70 members of the team and watched a live scene written specially for the occasion and featuring the characters Lynda Snell, Lilian Bellamy and Ben Archer.
She hailed writers and actors for their portrayal of “painful subjects”, from the current modern slavery storyline to alcoholism, coercive control and racism.
The duchess ended the occasion by cutting a cake in the shape of a tractor, ably assisted by June Spencer, the 102-year-old actress who plays Peggy Woolley. “For as long as I can remember, I have loved this programme. It has been my faithful companion for a large part of my life,” Camilla said.
“Like many other Archers addicts, I have been known to become quite ratty if disturbed between 7pm and 7.15pm — and, like thousands of others, had severe withdrawal symptoms when you all but disappeared during lockdown.”
The duchess made a cameo appearance on The Archers during a visit to BBC Birmingham on its 60th anniversary. The programme’s 50th birthday was celebrated at a St James’s Palace reception hosted by the Prince of Wales.
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•The Countess of Wessex has warned of a rise in online child sexual abuse and called for tech firms and politicians to do more to protect young people from harm. Giving a keynote speech in Brussels to a European parliament group on children’s rights, she told of a 14-year-old boy who tried to take his own life after being blackmailed into sending explicit pictures. The countess, patron of the NSPCC, said: “It is all our responsibilities to seek ways to prevent these crimes being committed.”
