Though King Charles III and Queen Camilla recently canceled a slate of engagements following the announcement of an upcoming general election on July 4, the royal couple emerged at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to celebrate the famous acting school’s 120th anniversary. During a Wednesday visit, they met with current students and some of the school’s most illustrious alums, including Cynthia Erivo, David Harewood, and Daniel Mays.
According to the Daily Mail, the king was curious about the audition process when he heard that the school receives about 4,000 applications every year. “Do you put them through the most horrendous auditions?” he asked. The royal family also shared a video of the king laughing with Erivo on their social media accounts.
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Camilla spoke with Mays, who recently appeared in a West End production of Guys and Dolls. The queen recently took her grandchildren to the show, and said it was “fantastic,” per the Mail.
“I left about three months ago and towards the end of my run she came with all her grandkids,” Mays told the outlet. “We were only told on the day there would be an important royal visit, so we were wondering who it was going to be.”
Harewood, best known in the US for his role on the series Homeland, is currently serving as the school’s president, and in between her busy press run for Wicked, Erivo is its vice president. The royals have had an association with the RADA since 1920, when they were granted a royal charter. The king recently took over the role of patron, which was held by Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 to her death in 2022.
Camilla also serves as the patron of the National Theatre, a role that was held by Meghan Markle from 2019 until her royal exit. As a part of her work with the Queen’s Reading Room, she will host actors Dame Harriet Walter, Helena Bonham Carter, and Miriam Margolyes, along with a wide array of writers for a literary festival at Hampton Court Palace on June 8.
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