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Miriam's Big Fat Adventure star Miriam Margolyes reveals the telling off she received from the Queen

The Call the Midwife actress had a telling off from Her Majesty


miriam margolyes this morning© Photo: Rex
Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
March 10, 2020
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She's been in the film and television industry for over 50 years, so it's safe to say that actress Miriam Margolyes has one or two stories up her sleeve, and now she's explained one relating to the royal family. The actress, who is currently appearing in  BBC Two's Miriam's Big Fat Adventure, revealed that the Queen had told her to "be quiet" at Buckingham Palace a few years ago.

Previously appearing on This Morning, the 78-year-old explained that she was invited to the palace for an event when the telling off took place. "I was invited as part of British book week and when she came over to me, she asked me 'what do you do?' in a very nice way, and I said 'I'm the best reader of stories in the whole world' and she went [rolls eyes] like that."

miriam on this morning© Photo: Rex

Miriam opened up about the incident on This Morning

Miriam continued: "She immediately left me and went to the next person to ask what they do, and he said 'I teach dyslexic children to read and we've noticed that if you put the letters in different colours and the pages of print in different colours, it helps the children read and absorb more information' and I said standing next to him, 'Really, how fascinating I didn't know that.'" The Harry Potter star added: "And then she [the Queen] turned to me and said 'Be quiet!' which she had every right to do but it's a bit discombobulating and everyone went [gasp]."

READ: The Royal Family pay tribute to the Queen on International Women's Day – see rare photo

miriam call the midwife© Photo: BBC

Miriam is currently starring in series 9 of the Call the Midwife

The actress then went on to reveal her thoughts on the recent news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will 'stand back' as senior royals. "I'm a bit troubled by it because we don't know anything about it, we don't know them and we don't know the circumstances, and I think people are too ready to jump in and criticise and have opinions," she began, adding: "I wish them the best … and I want it to go well for them, so im going to reserve judgement but I think obviously they should have told the Queen first."

READ: Sophie Wessex has been working as a secret clothes shopper for the Queen!

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