The Queen is said to be a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing - and it turns out that her love of the show was passed down to her by her late mother-in-law
Queen Camilla offered a heart-warming remark to Angela Rippon when the renowned TV presenter competed on Strictly Come Dancing.
The Queen claims to be "one of the greatest fans" of the BBC show. Professional dancer Johannes Radebe once said she "never misses" an episode.
It means Camilla watched as Angela, 80, was partnered up with professional Kai Widdrington in 2023. Angela was eliminated eighth in the series that saw Coronation Street star Ellie Leach lifting the Glitterball Trophy.
Angela became the oldest celebrity to take part in Strictly when she took to the dancefloor. And it seems as though her performance had the royal seal of approval from the Queen.
Angela relayed to Woman's Weekly that "Queen Camilla said we were cool, but I don't know if she voted."
Angela's TV career began in 1966 at BBC South West. She went on to presenter Come Dancing, the forerunner to Strictly.
Both Angela and the Queen have spoken about maintaining their love of dance later in life. In 2020, the pair met at a Silver Swans ballet class - a strength session for people over 55 - after which the Queen revealed she likes to dance to stay active.
The Queen has expressed her enthusiasm for staying active, remarking: "I think we've got to keep active, if we don't, we'll just seize up and you know, we won't be able to get out of bed in the morning. It doesn't matter if it's 10 minutes or 20 minutes, it just starts off the day. I do a combination of a bit of Silver Swans and a bit of pilates and a lot of walking, which I love."
During her visit to the Silver Swans ballet class, the Queen shared: "Sarah, the teacher, said, 'Would you ever consider having a lesson?' So I got a group of ancient friends together and the four of us sort of clattered around and when we're in London, we do it once a week, and it makes all the difference."
She also mentioned her newfound interest in ballet: "I've always loved dance but I've never done ballet before. It doesn't matter if you've done ballet or not, it's something that will make you feel better."
On the subject of dance, the Queen believes it instils "discipline" and is "really good fun". South African dancer Johannes was pleasantly surprised by the Queen's appreciation for dance upon meeting her last year.
Reflecting on their encounter, Johannes, who became part of Strictly'sfirst male same-sex pairing with John Whaite, commented: "She adores the show and never misses it.
"I didn't know she was a lover of tap as well. I do know that she loves Strictly Come Dancing."
