Queen Camilla proved she’s just like the rest of us when she shared that she was hooked on the BBC show, The Night Manager.
The show, which returned for a second season this year, ten years on from the first series, stars actor Tom Hiddleston. The thespian had an amusing interaction with Queen Camilla back when she was the Duchess of Cornwall, when the first season was on our screens in 2016.
The two ran into one another at the BBC Radio 2 headquarters, with Camilla greeting Tom by saying: “Hello, Night Manager, how are you?” Referencing the show’s short run of six episodes, which had finished by the time they met, the Queen joked: “Sunday nights aren’t the same without you,” to which he said he “apologised unreservedly”.
© Getty ImagesQueen Camilla shared a joke with Tom Hiddleston
Queen Camilla’s viewing habits
After sharing that she was a fan of the BBC show, the Queen asked the question we were all wondering about the decade gap between shows. “But you might come back again?” she asked, to which Tom quipped: “Well you never know. We will have to ask John Le Carre [the writer].”
After their cheeky chat, Tom, who welcomed a second child with fellow actor Zawe Aston last year, broke royal protocol by putting his arm around Her Majesty – who luckily didn’t seem to mind.
© WireImageTom Hiddleston is back on our screens this year
“I’m sure I’m the envy of all the ladies,” Camilla joked as she walked away.
The Queen is likely happy this year, because not only is The Night Manager back for six more episodes, but another of her favourite shows, Rivals, is currently in production, with Camilla visiting the set in the Cotswolds at the end of last year.
Tom Hiddleston’s brushes with royalty
After his meeting with the Queen, ever the charmer, Tom said it had been a “pleasure” to meet the royal, adding: “I have never met [her] before, but she seems lovely. I have met Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales). They were kind enough to come to the premiere of War Horse, so we met them and they were great.”
© PA Images via Getty ImagesTom Hiddleston is respected by the royals
As well as meeting Prince William at his premiere, Tom also went to Eton at the same time as the future King, with the duo one year apart at school.
He’s clearly trusted by the royals, as he is an ambassador of the King’s Trust and was even chosen to deliver a poignant message on behalf of King Charles for the charity in 2024.