Tess Peak-Jones reveals the Queen was first to watch Christmas specials

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Only Fools and Horses star Tessa Peake-Jones and Birds of a Feather star Lesley Joseph joined Alan Titchmarsh on his ITV show Love Your Weekend. Before kicking off the episode, the trio looked back at their fondest memories of Queen Elizabeth II. Despite never meeting her, Tessa revealed a behind-the-scenes secret which meant the Queen was able to watch the Christmas Special episode before anyone else.

Touching on the Royal Family’s love for the BBC One comedy sitcom, Alan asked: “By all accounts, the Royal family, including the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were very fond of Only Fools, weren’t they?”

Tessa explained: “They were! Word is, that they used to send a tape in those days of the Christmas special of Only Fools to Buckingham Palace before it went out on Christmas Day, so they saw it before the nation.”

Amazed at the revelation, Alan exclaimed: “So they were the first people to see the show? Probably felt like home!”

Whilst Her Majesty was always seen in her formal working role, she often liked to wind down with some of the classic BBC programmes.

Another of her favourite TV shows was The Kumars at No 42, which journalist Phil Jones kept a secret for many years.

Writing in The New Statesman, he explained: “Well, I’ve kept this exclusive story secret for 21 years after I was told by a BBC executive that, on pain of death, journalists should never reveal their conversations with the monarch.

“In 2001, I was invited to a media function at Buckingham Palace. The first thing the Queen said was how much she loved Terry Wogan.

“No surprise there. We all knew the Queen was a Radio 2 listener. We chatted for ages, which I can tell you is rather surreal.

“My brain kept saying, ‘B****y hell I’m talking to the Queen, and I can’t think of a single thing to say!’ In the end, I alighted on, ‘What’s your favourite programme?’.

“Straightaway, she said, The Kumars at No 42 and, even more astonishingly, proceeded to recite some of the one-liners from the grandma character, played by the brilliant Meera Syal.”

During the episode, Alan also revealed the most “treasured” moment he shared with Her Majesty.

He revealed: “It has been wonderful seeing so many people turn out so much support but also to be reminded of the Queen’s sense of humour which was incredibly well-developed.

“I have sat next to her quite a lot of times at lunch as President of the New Forest show, I planted a tree with her on the Isle of White, a palm tree which is now very tall.

“So I can look at the tree that I planted with the Queen. She did a couple of shovel fulls and then gave me this spade, and then I have a photograph of me planting the tree and the Queen,” to which he gestured her pointing at the tree.

“Rather like Debbie McGee, it was a wonderful thing like ‘It’s his job’. To have those memories, they are deeply treasured and being there at moments like that.”

Alan has always kept his conversations and friendship with the Queen private, however, has recently revealed he was invited to “tea” by the now King Charles III.

He wrote in The Sunday Telegraph: “The prince tapped his foot in time with the music before giving the man on the whistle a bottle of Scotch and the woman on the guitar a bottle of champagne, chatting casually to both.

“The recital was short, the applause genuine, and, after making his way around the room, shaking hands with almost everyone there, smiling, thanking them for coming and encouraging them in their endeavours, the prince headed for the exit.

“Because I stood by the door, he shook my hand last of all and said ‘Come and see us soon for tea’. I thanked him and he left the room as Duke of Rothesay, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and assorted other titles, unaware that he was doing so for the very last time. He was happy; it had been a good day.

“The next day, he woke up early as usual, but by the middle of the afternoon, those ancient appellations would be redistributed among more junior members of his family. Prince William became Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall. Prince Charles would have but one title: The King.”

Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh airs Sunday from 9:30am on ITV.

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