The celebrations of the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II were supposed to be a high point for her doubles. But, unfortunately, the official “twins” of the monarch are also very elderly people, and it’s hard for them, like the queen, to participate in such large-scale celebrations.
So the most famous “professional queen” – British actress Janet Charles admitted to The Guardian newspaper that she would watch the broadcast of the anniversary events on television. She is almost 95 years old – she is only a year and a half younger than Elizabeth II. According to Janet, even when she was a child, people paid attention to her resemblance to the young heir to the throne. But the real glory fell on her much later. In 1972, while looking for an original birthday present for her husband, she came across an ad in the local newspaper. The artist Jane Thornhill offered her services as a portrait painter.
I thought, “Why not?” I liked what she did, and when Jane asked if she could present the drawing at the Royal Academy summer exhibition, I didn’t mind,” said the actress.
The academy thought the painting was of the Queen and contacted Buckingham Palace. But they answered that Her Majesty did not pose for this portrait.
Since the portraits in the exhibition had to be painted from life, Jane was disqualified. When she came to the gallery to pick up her work, journalists attacked her. After that, my phone did not stop – I was interviewed for newspapers, magazines and radio. And my agent said that the resemblance to the queen can bring money, Janet recalled in an interview with the Guardian.
She was in her 40s at the time and lived with her family in a village near Chelmsford in Essex.
Before I had children, I worked as an au pair and typist, but I always wanted to perform on stage. I participated in amateur productions, took public speaking lessons and even auditioned for the RADA acting academy. But it turned out to be too expensive, and my appearance played against me – no matter what role I chose, I heard comments from the audience, and sometimes laughter.
Having her own agent helped Janet make her looks work for her. She signed a contract with an advertising agency. But, since Janet has always been a staunch monarchist and respected Elizabeth II, she refused the big money that she was willing to pay for the “naked queen” and insisted that she was never presented as a monarch.
It seems to me that in those days no one else made a living by looking like someone famous. This is now a whole industry, – says Janet.
Over the decades, she has appeared on numerous television talk shows, opened hundreds of supermarkets, assisted magicians and appeared in commercials around the world. Queen musicians and Muhammad Ali wanted to be photographed with her, Joan Rivers hired her to wave from the royal box during the performance. And, finally, Janet’s cherished dream came true: she began acting in films, however, always in the same role. On the set of the film “The Naked Gun” her partners on the set were such famous actors as Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley, and in “Austin Powers” she had a chance to play with Mike Myers and Beyoncé. Some actors treated Janet contemptuously.
They didn’t understand how hard it was. I spent many hours perfecting the “royal” voice and manner, trying to keep abreast of events in the life of Elizabeth II and her family in order to refer to them in my speeches. Like the Queen, I have had to limit my public appearances lately. If it wasn’t for the arthritis, I would still be working.
Janet retired in 2014, shortly after the Queen herself made her Bond parody debut with Daniel Craig at the London Olympics. Indeed, if Elizabeth II herself began to play in the cinema, the double has nothing more to do.
Recall that according to the plot of the short film, agent 007 arrives at Buckingham Palace to deliver the monarch by helicopter to the stadium. Elizabeth II is sitting at her desk. “Hello, Mr. Bond,” she says to Craig’s character, and together they leave the palace, accompanied by the Queen’s favorite corgis. Her Majesty and Agent 007 board a helicopter, from which the Queen, who in this situation, of course, was replaced by a stuntman, parachutes over the Olympic Park. A few minutes later she appears at the stadium to take her place next to her husband the Duke of Edinburgh. The creators of the video said that they managed to shoot it from the first take. And the queen did not have to be persuaded. According to director Danny Boyle, Her Majesty immediately agreed. “She thought it would be fun, she really liked the idea. She was very natural in front of the camera. We shot everything from the first take,” he said. For Janet, this was a shock.
People told me that until her face was shown in close-up, they expected it to be me,” the actress said.
She did not participate in the celebrations last week and could watch her main rival – the real Elizabeth II – again act in films, this time in the tea party scene at Buckingham Palace with Paddington Bear.
But at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Queen, the star of another actress ascended the throne – Harriett Ball. The 23-year-old media intern in Lancashire portrays Elizabeth as a teenager, and even received a “blessing” of sorts from the Duke of Kent, who noted her resemblance to his cousin. According to The Daily Star, this girl usually earns about 700 pounds per month. But after her platinum anniversary, her earnings doubled. Well, it’s time to make way for the young… doppelgangers.
Source: Hellomagazine
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
