From the moment The Crown‘s first episode aired in 2016, the public have wondered what members of the British royal family think of the TV dramatisation of their lives.
Now it appears that burning question has finally been answered.
On Tuesday, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall appeared to make her peace with the Netflix series when she welcomed Emerald Fennell, the very actress who portrays her on screen, to Clarence House as part of a special International Women’s Day event.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall meets with actress Emerald Fennell at Clarence House.
The Duchess was photographed smiling and chatting with the 36-year-old star, and made her feelings clear with a cheeky comment as she presented a speech to all the women gathered there.
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“It is reassuring to know that, if I should fall off my perch at any moment, my fictional alter ego is here to take over,” Camilla joked with the crowd.
“So, Emerald, be prepared!”
The affection was mutual with Emerald describing the Duchess of Cornwall as “such an impressive person” adding that their meeting was “delightful”, despite being unsure of how it would play out.
“I was nervous I might be thrown in the Tower [of London], but so far so good,” she joked to reporters.
WATCH: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’s cheeky joke to The Crown actress who plays her. Story continues after video.
The Crown actress added that it was “fitting” for her to meet the duchess on International Women’s Day, as much of Camilla’s work is centred around women’s causes and charities, but wouldn’t say what she and the royal spoke about.
“You know what, I’m going to be very discreet – because if I’ve learnt anything. it’s ‘loose lips sink ships’,” she teased.
Camilla has become one of the first senior royals to openly acknowledge The Crown in a positive way, a surprising move considering how the Netflix series reopened old wounds for her and husband Prince Charles.
The duchess seemed delighted to meet the actress who portrayed her on The Crown.
(Image: Getty)Recent seasons have depicted the couple’s romance prior to Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana, as well as their extramarital affair after he wed the Princess of Wales in 1981.
Though show runners are open about the fact that The Crown is a dramatisation, depictions of Charles and Camilla’s affair reignited public backlash the likes of which the pair hadn’t seen since the ’80s and ’90s.
At one stage they were forced to turn off the comments function on their social media pages due to an influx of cruel comments, many of them targeting Camilla directly, attacking the pair for the way their affair was portrayed in The Crown.
While the backlash has since died down, Camilla remains one of the most controversial members of the royal family despite decades of faithful service since marrying Charles in 2005.
Camilla has been a hard-working member of the royal family since she married Prince Charles in 2005.
(Image: Getty)She has continued to prioritise her royal duties through the ups and downs of public opinion, and has demonstrated her good nature once more by welcoming Emerald into her home despite the fact that her portrayal of a young Camilla inspired such public fury.
“She’s been in the spotlight for a long time and has always weathered it with a lot of grace and good humour,” Emerald said of the Duchess of Cornwall.
That grace will continue to serve Camilla in the years to come.
Earlier this year the Queen announced her wish that the duchess take the title of Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes King, a decision that sparked outrage among some groups.
