From Coronation Street and Loose Women to Buckingham Palace; actor Denise Welch is set to become royalty as she's been cast as The Queen in her latest role.
Welch, 65, will don the crown when she takes to the stage later this year, when a musical all about the Queen's deceased daughter-in-law, Princess Diana, will open for one night only in front of an audience in London.
Diana: The Musical explores the life and times of the new King's former wife, including her relationship with Charles prior to their separation in 1992.
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It previously made its debut on Broadway, when actor Jeanna de Waal starred in the title role, but the London version of the show will welcome some new stars.
An adult version of Diana will be brought to the stage by actor Kerry Ellis, who previously starred as Elphaba in the West End musical Wicked, while a 19-year-old version of the princess will be played by Olivier nominee Maiya Quansah-Breed, who described the role as 'iconic'.
Welch is set to join the two on stage in the role of Queen Elizabeth II, having previously gained theatre experience thanks to her role in the musical Yakety Yak and the 2018 Calendar Girls UK tour.
She expressed her excitement to play Her Majesty after the news was shared this week, sharing a post of her own on Twitter before retweeting multiple other posts about her involvement.
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"Queeeeeeeen!!," she wrote in a tweet yesterday (14 June), adding: "Diana The Musical in concert. Dec 4th. Apollo Hammersmith."
Welch isn't the only one who's excited about the role, as fans quickly responded to the news with delight.
Leaning heavily on the caps lock button to express their joy, one fan wrote: "DENISE WELCH IS PLAYING THE QUEEN WHAT IS HAPPENING WHAT UNIVERSE ARE WE LIVING IN THIS IS UNMISSABLE."
Another commented: "Denise Welch is going to do a great job of playing the queen imo!"
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Directed by Owen Horsley, the musical features 80s-inspired songs led by Bon Jovi member David Bryan with lyrics from Joe DiPietro, who won a Tony award for the musical Memphis.
It comes to the stage after a performance was previously was launched on Netflix in 2021.
Having been delayed by the Covid-19 outbreak, the cast in the Netflix version performed on stage to an empty theatre.
Diana: The Musical will be performed at the Eventim Apollo on 4 December.
Featured Image Credit: ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Stock Photo / Simon Serdar / Alamy Stock PhotoTopics: TV And Film, The Queen, Royal Family, King Charles III