Interviews with some of the cast of C4's royal comedy as it returns for a Coronation special

The Windsors are back for a Coronation soecuak next week, as Charles (Harry Enfield)  finally has his moment in the Abbey he’s been waiting all his life for. Here are interviews with some of the key cast, as well as new pictures from the episode.

Haydn Gwynne who plays Camilla

How delighted is Camilla to be officially the Queen Consort?

Very delighted indeed. Her whole trajectory is that she's power hungry and she’ll do anything to achieve it. She's probably a bit disappointed that she isn't absolute top dog, but there's not a lot she can do about that. Her real-life trajectory has also been rather thrilling.

Has your Camilla evolved over the course of these series?

I’m not sure it’s that kind of show! Given that she started series one by trying to blow up the royal family, I can't say she's got any worse, although there is something pretty dastardly that she does in the Coronation special. She’s still the soap-opera villainess that that we know and perhaps love. Villains are always good fun to play, and because it's comedy and very silly and ridiculous, that makes it even more joyful.

Has Camilla’s relationship with Wills and Harry warmed up?

She hasn’t had much to do with Harry because he hasn't been around. Given what came out in the press recently, I was wondering whether the real Prince Harry had been watching too much of The Windsors.

I've never really thought of my Camilla as being very close to the real-life Camilla – there are portrayals in the series which are much sort of closer to the bone. With Camilla there was always a clear distinction.

How was the experience of filming the Coronation itself?

Unfortunately, when it came to the fun bit of us all being together – or not, there is some debate about who appears on the balcony – it was the most disgusting day. Non-stop rain, although I'm sure with the magic of TV and lighting that it’ll be transformed. I was doing The Great British Bake Off musical at the same time, so I was having to rush off to do matinees. It wasn't as delightful as it as it might have been, but still good fun.

I knew there was a possibility this Coronation special would happen before I accepted the other job, but we're all very fond of it. Everybody does their utmost to make it work and our producers do their utmost to work around our other commitments. It is not ideal, though – press night for the musical was literally the night before I started shooting The Windsors, but you have to be disciplined.

Have you ever met a member of the royal family

I have, and I've always been very impressed. I’ve met Charles multiple times because he's quite interested in theatre. I also met Camilla years ago in one of those line-ups at a royal premiere of a film. It tends to be that people aren't very keen for me to meet them anymore [as] the press could make it a distraction.

The first time I met Charles was with Diana, and it was really interesting to see how practised they are in the job of meeting a lot of strangers, saying something graceful, then disentangling themselves and getting moved on to the next one.

Will you be watching the real Coronation?

We will, because how long is it since the last one? The matinee of the musical is cancelled, so we'll be able to watch, although we'll be doing the evening show as usual so we’re not off the hook!

Hugh Skinner who plays Wills

Is The Windsors as much fun to be in as it is to watch?

It’s been going for a relatively long time now, and I’m not sure any of us thought when we did the first series that we’d still be doing it seven years later. But it's a stunning group of people, and yes we have a great time!

What are Wills and Kate (Louise Ford) up to for the Coronation special?

They are trying to bring the budget down for the Coronation, and as the Prince of Wales Wills has started a new out-and-about scheme, which he’s really excited about. And he's a bit upset that managing the Coronation’s budget takes him away from that. Unfortunately he can't really say ‘out and about’, so Kate spends a lot of time helping him.

Is his own Coronation in the back of his mind?

Oh, definitely. He wants to be a man of the people, so a budget Coronation on the side of the A24 or wherever.... Kate is less up for it, though…

Will you be watching the Coronation?

I’d love to but my nephew’s second birthday Party is that day which is a big clash. I might watch it on my phone.

Have you ever met any of the royal family?

I once danced in front of Sophie Wessex when I was a teenager in a youth theatre group and then told her I had smelly feet which I regret. 

Do we have a slightly different relationship to the monarch and the royal family now?

Yes, and they’ve got so many shows about them now.

Was there a highlight from filming the Coronation Special?

I enjoyed doing the fight with Prince Harry (Richard Goulding). Bert [Tyler-Moore] wrote it  brilliantly where you see both sides of the story. Wills and Harry both imagine the fight   in very different ways. One’s a bit Merchant Ivory and the other one is more Raging Bull

It’s always quite awkward when there's someone much fitter than you trying to teach you how to fight.  It was fine when we were doing the crap version but when it got a bit more Raging Bull I retreated into myself. 

Louise Ford who plays Kate

Things that are fun to watch aren’t always fun to make – what makes The Windsors different?

I think it's a fair indication of how much people love working on it that, even though everyone's very busy and we're never sure if it can happen, people drop things and make time.

Three of us were doing a play in the evenings and Ellie (White, playing Beatrice) was doing other filming while we made the Coronation special, so everything was complete chaos, but we make it a priority because it's just really fun.

It’s big and arch and silly and theatrical. I remember auditioning years ago and being told: ‘You can go bigger with that.’ You rarely get asked to do that in a TV meeting, so people get a lot out of that performance aspect.

How do you and Hugh Skinner muster that onscreen chemistry as Wills and Kate?

Hugh’s one of my best friends in real life. He’s just a joy to be around and he's got the perfect personality for making a TV show, like Morgana Robinson (playing Pippa) – very generous, and much more energised than I ever am!

Kate feels like the heroine of The Windsors. Is that how you see her?

I think so. Much like in real life, perhaps, she is the character who is dependable, well-meaning and kind – she’s always there. It's fun to play – when you sometimes start thinking that everybody else is much funnier than you, you appreciate your role within that family dynamic. Not everyone can be bonkers.

One of my favourite shows is The Office: An American Workplace, and Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam, once said: ‘They told me: don't be afraid to be boring.’ As an actor, you want your character to be the most exciting, but I've learned over this series that there's a huge amount of pride in Kate for being the sensible person, guiding people and listening.

What are Wills and Kate up to for the Coronation special?

The big question is: will the Coronation be big and sparkly and expensive, or will it be budget?   We went from these very plush, grand surroundings to the basement of Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire,  which was set up to be the bar of a Holiday Inn. That gives you some indication of how things might develop. It’s another existential crisis for Wills and Kate, all about being true to the family and making the right decision for them.

There are some lovely flashes of ego in this special, which I really enjoy because with great power comes great responsibility!

How is the relationship between Wills and Kate and Harry and Meghan?

It's complicated. It becomes more difficult to parody something that's quite dramatic in real life. The more dramatic that situation becomes, the more confusing for a writer to know how much is too much, but Bert has managed that very well,

What would say if you ever met Kate?

I don't think I could meet her, because I'd be too embarrassed about The Windsors. I couldn't look her in the eye!

What was your favourite moment from filming?

Corpsing is such fun, but then it just won't go away and it turns into sort of fear and panic… Hanging out with Hugh and Morgana (Robinson, below) is so great. There was a particular moment where Hugh was playing the piano with his hands and Morgana was playing with her bottom – it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life.

Will you be watching the real Coronation?

When Will and Kate got married, I went away with my friend from drama school because we wanted to get away from the fuss. But I don't feel that way for this – embrace the fuss and the bunting!

What’s next for you?

I've directed a couple of short films so I’m developing something for TV. Directing and writing is what I'd like to continue doing.

Is The Windsors helpful for that?

Yes, it's really interesting, actually. The Windsors is made in quite a short amount of time, so I don't feel uncomfortable coming to set as a director because I'm comfortable in that world. I have experience in front of the camera, I like working with actors and I know everyone’s role. But I embrace the collaborative side of directing, so it helps hugely to see it and take in everything that's happening.

Richard Goulding who plays  Harry

Is The Windsors a job you'll always make time for?

Absolutely. When it came up ages ago, they checked in with me and I was definitely available. Then as it gets closer to the time, availability gets a bit squeezed, but you're trying to do everything to make sure that you're available. As soon as it came back though, I was up for it.

What can we expect for Harry and Megan (Kathryn Drysdale) for the Coronation special?

In the show, they are in their California idyll with their simple, back-to-basics life… I don't know what their real California life is like, but I shouldn’t think it's very basic. Then the coronation comes up and there's a dilemma about whether they go or not Which is pretty much what's happening in real life!

How are they feeling about ‘the Firm’ now?

The joke in the show is that Harry isn’t the sharpest tool in the box, so I play it as if Harry is looking to Meghan to answer every question he’s asked. There’s also that historical rivalry between Meghan and Kate and Pippa, so there are lots of axes to grind in the show.

How do you work so well with Kathryn Drysdale?

We're both extremely funny! Honestly, I credit the scripts. Obviously the material is rich, but the jokes are just brilliant. They land every time. I hesitate to say this, but you don't really have to do much as an actor. The director says ‘just a bit faster’, and that's it. Kathryn is lovely to work with and it's a very clear process. We just turn up and say the lines with joy and relish.

What was your favourite moment from the special?

When I first walked on set again, I was reminded what a joy it is to be with that cast. They're all incredibly funny and it's very hard not to giggle. I'm a terrible corpser. The first scene we did was with Wills and Kate, and it was all I could do to stop giggling.

There was another scene with Harry where Charles (Harry Enfield) turns up as a monk, having been on a spiritual journey. It has come as a surprise to me in my career to be making comedy at all, but it's a great pleasure.

You never know which direction Hugh’s going to take a vowel, do you?

That's exactly right. I remember he had "helicopter" in the first series, and there's a good joke about that in this special. He's also got his out-and-about scheme and I'll let you imagine which way he takes those vowels. He does it with such conviction, as if it's completely natural, but it’s so absurd. There's something brilliant about the absurdity and the seriousness of these characters that really works.

What’s the biggest challenge of making The Windsors?

Keeping a straight face. There isn't another challenge, although I always feel a great pressure if there's a punchline in the script, because I'm not a comedian and others in the cast are much more naturally, effortlessly funny. I get tense about whether I can make this obviously funny line funny or not. But even that is easily outweighed by the challenge of keeping a straight face.

Have you ever met a member of the royal family?

No, not in person. Only in a crowd.

What do you think that you'd say to them?

I doubt I'd ever be put in that position, given what I've done in my career. I doubt they'd allow it! I'd probably say the wrong thing. I’d say ‘hi’ or curtsey by mistake, like Liz Truss.

What’s coming up next for you?

I’m about to finish filming Scoop, a Netflix film about the Prince Andrew and Emily Maitlis interview – so more royals! Although I’m not playing Andrew or Emily Maitlis. After that, I don't know. I'm going to get a puppy and spend a few months training it. That’s not a euphemism, by the way!

Kathryn Drysdale who plays Meghan

Will you always make time for The Windsors?

Yeah, it's just such good fun. It doesn't really feel like work. Everybody makes it work, whatever other projects they're involved in at the time.

Is there a lot of corpsing on set?

A lot of corpsing. I remember the first day I was ever on set [for series two[ – it was already well established, and I just couldn't stop laughing. I was a bit nervous, thinking: is this normal? But it really is. I always corpse when I'm in scenes with Hugh Skinner for some reason, just because of the way he speaks. He’s a comedy genius.

How do you stay professional in that environment?

Normally by the second or third take, we've got it together. We are pressed for time, because we're squeezing the whole shoot into a couple of weeks. We don't really have the luxury of corpsing all day!

How did you manage to film California in Hertfordshire?

With lots of trickery! California has been quite grey and they've actually had rain recently, so Hertfordshire in late winter was fitting.

How would you describe Harry and Meghan’s feelings towards ‘The Firm’ in this special?

I think with our Windsors, there's a lot of love towards his father. They just want to do the right thing, whatever that is, in their Californian way. There's a lot of soul searching about what the right thing is, and it depends on what books they’re reading at the time as well.

Is it enjoyable for you to be playing a princess?

Yeah! And obviously I played her when she wasn't a princess. I really prefer to be a princess.

What was the biggest challenge in the Coronation special?

Well, I had a cold at the beginning. That was the only real challenge because filming outside in March was a bit chilly. I was flitting from finishing off Bridgeton the same week that I was filming this, so it was such a joy to come to The Windsors and have a good old laugh.

Have you ever met a real royal?

I've met King Charles and Camilla and they were great fun. I was at the Royal Shakespeare Company where King Charles is a patron, so they came to see the show and we met them backstage afterwards. I thought how charming and cheeky they were together.

What’s next for you?

I’m doing a film, and I'm doing an audio book about somebody who lives in the Tower of London. More royal connections – I can’t escape them!

• The Windsors Coronation Special is on Channel 4 and All at 9pm on 4  April 30

Published: 25 Apr 2023