Tom Hiddleston once found himself apologising to Queen Camilla after learning she was a huge fan of his hit BBC drama The Night Manager, and she was not thrilled it had ended so soon.
The charming exchange dates back to 2016, when the actor crossed paths with the then-Duchess of Cornwall at BBC Radio 2 headquarters, leading to a moment that delighted royal watchers and TV fans alike.
Tom Hiddleston’s awkward apology to Queen Camilla
Spotting Hiddleston across the room, Camilla lit up and greeted him warmly: “Hello, Night Manager, how are you?”
She was, of course, referring to The Night Manager, the hugely popular spy thriller in which Hiddleston starred. The first series had recently ended after just six episodes, and Camilla made it clear she was missing her Sunday night viewing.
“Sunday nights just aren’t the same without you,” she told him.
Hiddleston, clearly taken aback but amused, responded with a grin: “I apologise unreservedly.”
The conversation quickly turned to the question on every fan’s lips. Would the show ever return?
“But you might come back again?” Camilla asked hopefully.
“Well, you never know,” Hiddleston replied. “We’ll have to ask John le Carré.”
The meeting became even more memorable when Hiddleston briefly put his arm around Camilla for a photograph, a gesture that raised a few eyebrows over royal protocol.
Clarence House was quick to play down any speculation, telling PEOPLE that it was simply a “warm moment” between two people who “got on very well and had a very nice chat together”.
“I think she quite enjoyed it!” a spokesperson added.
Camilla certainly seemed to agree, joking as she walked away: “I’m sure I’m the envy of all the ladies.”
Queen Camilla’s favourite TV shows revealed
Camilla has never hidden her love of a good TV drama, and The Night Manager clearly made a big impression.
“It was brilliant. Everybody sat gripped,” she later told Hiddleston.
Thankfully for the queen, the long wait finally ended earlier this month when the series returned for a second season, almost a decade after it first aired.
Another show firmly on her radar is Rivals, based on the novel by her close friend Jilly Cooper. A second series is currently in production, and Camilla even paid a visit to the set in the Cotswolds towards the end of last year.
Following their first meeting, Hiddleston spoke warmly about the queen.
“It was a pleasure to meet her,” he said, according to HELLO!. “I have never met [her] before, but she seems lovely.”
He also reflected on meeting other members of the royal family, adding: “I’ve met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales). They were kind enough to come to the premiere of War Horse, and they were great.”
The pair later reunited in 2024 at Buckingham Palace’s ballroom for the revival of the BBC’s 500 Words competition, first launched in 2011.
Camilla was in buoyant form at the event, chatting with a star-studded guest list that included Sir Lenny Henry, Hugh Bonneville, and Hiddleston himself.
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