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King Charles III's thoughts on the acting requirements placed on members of the royal family has been revealed in archive footage included in a special documentary made to mark his journey from prince to sovereign.
The documentary, produced by the BBC, will air in Britain on Sunday to mark the buildup to the king's coronation on May 6. For Charles R: The Making of a Monarch, filmmakers were granted exclusive access to the royal family's private archive of home movies and permission to broadcast archive interviews conducted over seven decades.
In a promotional clip released ahead of the main broadcast, a young Charles is heard discussing his thoughts on acting, which he was notably interested in during his time at Cambridge University.
"I always have the sense though that, if you were not in this public position, you'd like to be an actor," an interviewer says during footage of Charles preparing to make a television speech from Clarence House, London, in the 1970s.
"I love imitating and mimicking," the prince said. "I enjoy making people laugh if I can. And, in a strange way, so much of what one does requires—I find—acting ability in one way or another, and it's extremely useful if you enjoy it."
Charles took part in a number of amateur dramatic performances during his student days, and it is a passion he has carried throughout life. In 2016, the prince surprised audiences by appearing in a TV skit alongside actors Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant and Dame Judi Dench, for the BBC's Shakespeare Live! event.
In a comedic interlude between monologues, the actors battled it out to see who could deliver the Prince of Denmark's famous "to be or not to be" speech from Shakespeare's Hamlet. At the end, they were joined on stage by Charles (the then-Prince of Wales) who delivered the line in his own regal manner to a round of applause from the audience.
Charles is not the only member of the royal family to have displayed a love for acting. Most prominently, his daughter-in-law Meghan Markle was a professional actress for a number of years before stepping down to become a full time royal. She starred in the U.S. legal drama series Suits playing the character of Rachel Zane in 108 episodes between 2011 and 2018.
Another member of the extended royal family who is an actress and who continues to perform roles is Sophie Windsor (under her maiden name of Sophie Winkleman). She is the wife of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's son, Lord Frederick Windsor.
Winkleman is best known for her role as "Big Suze" in the British comedy Peep Show. Before her marriage, she also starred as a member of the royal family in a fictional take on the Windsors in the 2008 drama series The Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II was also known to take centre stage in her childhood as part of special pantomime performances held at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England. In 1943, the future queen played the lead role in a production of Aladdin, while her younger sister, Princess Margaret, performed as Princess Roxana.
Charles' documentary covers all aspects of his public and private life, from his childhood before his mother became queen, to his days of becoming a father. It also includes coverage of his marriage and divorce from Princess Diana, and his relationship today with Queen Camilla.
Together, Charles and Camilla will be crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6 as part of a weekend of celebrations, including a special national holiday.
Charles R: The Making of a Monarch airs in Britain on Sunday, April 30 at 8 p.m. on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, produced by BBC Studios.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more