Jeannette Charles facts for kids

Jeannette Charles (born 15 October 1927, died 2 June 2024) was a British actress. She became famous for looking a lot like Queen Elizabeth II. Because of this, she often played the Queen in movies and TV shows.

Her Acting Journey

Jeannette started acting in plays when she was in her twenties. But it was hard for her to get acting jobs because she looked so much like Queen Elizabeth II. People found it hard to see her as anyone else! So, she decided to stop acting for a while and became a secretary.

A Royal Resemblance Discovered

In 1972, something interesting happened. Jeannette had a painting made of herself as a gift for her husband. This painting was shown at a famous art show in London called the Royal Academy.

Many people thought the painting was actually of the Queen. Because of this, it was removed from the show. But when everyone found out it was Jeannette, she became very famous! She started getting offers to play the Queen in advertisements. Jeannette only accepted offers that she felt were proper. She always made sure people knew it was an actress playing the Queen, not the real one.

Playing the Queen on Screen

Jeannette then learned to sound like the Queen too. She started making special appearances at events. Soon, she began acting as Queen Elizabeth II in movies!

She played the Queen in many films, including:

• Secrets of a Superstud (1976)
• Queen Kong (1976)
• The Rutles' movie All You Need Is Cash (1978)
• National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)
• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
• Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Jeannette also appeared on TV. She was in Spike Milligan's Q series on BBC Television. She even surprised a contestant on Big Brother 10, who thought he was meeting the real Queen! She also appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1977 and Mind Your Language in 1978.

Jeannette Charles stopped acting in 2014. She lived in Danbury, Essex. She passed away in Great Baddow on 2 June 2024, at the age of 96.

Films Featuring Jeannette

Here is a list of some of the movies Jeannette Charles appeared in:

• Leos Leiden (1976) – The Queen
• Secrets of a Superstud (1976) – The Lady
• Queen Kong (1977) – HM The Queen (uncredited)
• All You Need Is Cash (or The Rutles) (1978) – A Queen of England
• National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985) – Queen Elizabeth
• Nipagesh Bachof (1987) – Queen of England
• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) – Queen Elizabeth II
• The Parent Trap (1998) – Queen Elizabeth II (deleted scene)
• Tusenårsfesten (1999) – Queen Elizabeth II
• Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) – Queen Elizabeth II