Queen raises a glass to The Archers: Camilla celebrates 20,000th episode of BBC series with personal message revealing she is ‘one of the show’s greatest fans’ and praising the crew for ‘magic from the last 72 years’
- The radio show, created in 1951, is the longest running soap opera in the world
Queen Camilla has celebrated the 20,000th episode of the BBC series The Archers by sending a personal message to the editor revealing she is ‘one of the show’s greatest fans’.
The message is set to be read out at a BBC reception in Birmingham this evening, where the programme is recorded, to celebrate the landmark episode of the series.
Louiza Patikas, who plays Helen Titchener, will read out her Majesty’s message which reads: ‘As one of your greatest fans, and sadly unable to join you this evening, I will be thinking of you all and raising a glass to mark over a quarter of a million minutes of Archers magic from the last 72 years.
‘Thank you for bringing joy, companionship, laughter, tears, compassion and understanding to your audience across the globe.
‘Here’s to the next 20,000 episodes – and, let’s hope, the end of Rob Titchener once and for all! Camilla R’
Queen Camilla pictured giving a speech during a celebration of The Archers 70th anniversary at Clarence House in 2021
Camilla, who says she is one of the show’s ‘greatest fans’, meets The Archers actress Carole Boyd, who plays Lynda Snell, in 2011
The Archers, which is currently the world’s longest running soap opera, follows residents of the fictional farming community of Ambridge.
Originally created by Godfrey Baseley on January 1, 1951, the radio show has been edited by Jeremy Howe since 2018.
It is broadcast every day on BBC Radio Four from Sunday to Friday at 7pm, except on Saturdays.
Characters in the Radio 4 show The Archers
The Archers’ June Spencer pictured recording a pilot for The Archer’s in 1950 and in 2010