‘The Queen Mother was an extremely clever woman’: Downton Abbey’s Penelope Wilton pays tribute to King Charles’ ‘quick and sharp’ grandmother as she prepares to play her on stage

Penelope Wilton has described the late Queen Mother as an “extremely clever woman” as she prepares to play King Charles’ grandmother in a new play.

The Downton Abbey actress plays Queen Elizabeth in the West End comedy Backstairs Billy, which chronicles her relationship with the royal William Tallon, played by Beauty and the Beast’s Luke Evans.

“There was nothing she didn’t find interesting,” the actress said The Telegraph. There’s nothing sentimental about this. The Queen Mother was very, very fast. She could be acerbic.’

Ahead of the play’s debut, Ms Wilton, 77, read countless books to educate herself on every aspect of Elizabeth’s life – from the royal family’s mannerisms to her heel height.

She pointed out Elizabeth’s propensity for a vibrant social life, which may have stemmed from the fact that she was widowed at the age of 51 and had to carve out an entirely new future for herself.

The production at the Duke of York Theater in London is set in 1979 against the backdrop of civil unrest in Britain.

It is directed by Michael Grandage and written by Marcelo Dos Santos.

Ms Wilton, who expressed her honor in portraying the role, had nothing but praise for her character.

She cited Queen Elizabeth’s refusal to evacuate during the Nazi bombing. It proved such an important boost to British morale that Adolf Hitler called her ‘the most dangerous woman in Europe’.

To prepare for the expected Nazi invasion, the royal family took shooting lessons with pistols and rifles in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, sometimes using as targets the stray rats released through the streets of London when buildings collapsed during the air raids.

The actress clarified that the play offers a speculative view of what Elizabeth and William’s lives could have been like, emphasizing its fictional nature.

Nevertheless, Ms Wilton said she would undergo an extensive transformation, involving hair, make-up and costume, so that she would resemble the royal figure.

The Queen Mother and William Tallon at Prince William’s christening in 1982

The Queen Mother and the real ‘Backstairs Billy’, William Tallon, at her 97th birthday at Clarence House in 1997

Mrs Wilton explained how Elizabeth embodied the spirit of her Edwardian era, often politically incorrect but determined in her pursuit of the life she wanted.

William Tallon, the son of a Coventry shopkeeper, spent half a century as the Queen Mother’s butler.

He took up royal duties after leaving school and his first position was as a junior assistant in the Steward’s Room at Buckingham Palace.

After serving two years in the RAF for his National Service, he joined the Queen Mother’s household at Clarence House.

He was given the use of Gate Lodge, a cottage next to his supervisor’s house. All the furniture, decorations and most of the photographs hanging on the walls came from the Queen Mother’s collection.

William is said to have been a devoted companion, tending to Elizabeth’s needs, organizing her lunches and caring for the corgis.

The Queen Mother appreciated his lively personality and ignored his romantic adventures – so he was is known for bringing young men back to Clarence House for late night rendezvous.

Ms Wilton explained how happy she is to return to the stage. She previously co-starred with Michael Gambon in William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in 1981.

The actress was born in Scarborough in 1946, the son of actress Alice Travers and Clifford Wilton.

She is also fondly remembered for playing Ann Bryce in the 1980s BBC sitcom Ever Decreasing Circle.