Actress Jeannette Charles, who played Elizabeth II in dozens of films, died at the age of the Queen. Photo

British actress Jeannette Charles, known for her resemblance to the late Queen Elizabeth II, thanks to which she played in the films "The Naked Gun" and "Austin Powers", has died at the age of 96. It is a coincidence that the monarch passed away at the same age, but two years earlier – on September 8, 2022.

As the star's daughter Carol Christophie told The Guardian, her mother died on June 2 at a nursing home in Great Beddow, Essex. "She had an amazing life," she added.

The amazing resemblance between Jeannette and the British Queen attracted people's attention even in the actress's youth, but it became most apparent in the 1970s. In 2022, the celebrity told The Guardian how she became Elizabeth II's "double": when the artist Jane Thornhill presented a portrait of the actress at the Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibition in 1972, representatives of Buckingham Palace asked if the painting depicted the monarch.

"After that, my phone never stopped ringing – I gave interviews for newspapers, magazines, and radio, and an agent said that my resemblance to the Queen could be a good source of income," Jeannette said. Charles used to spend her time with children, she also worked as a nanny, but "I always wanted to do something more."

"I acted in amateur plays, took public speaking classes, and even auditioned for "Rada". But the fees were too high, and my appearance played against me - no matter what the role, I heard comments from the audience, and sometimes even laughter," she said.

Over the next 50 years, Charles "appeared on television talk shows, assisted magicians, and appeared in commercials around the world." She played Queen Elizabeth II in music videos, appeared on Saturday Night Live, and even donated a silver CD to Queen.

Throughout her career, Jeannette remained an "ardent royalist" and never took on roles that "could reflect badly on the monarch or the actress herself." Until her retirement in 2014, the star was considered the most famous lookalike of the Queen. "I don't think anyone has ever made a living from looking like a celebrity before – it's a whole industry now," she said.

Charles was born on October 15, 1927, just 18 months after the monarch, and lived to be the same age as Queen Elizabeth II, who died at the age of 96. "She always had respect for the Queen and adored the royal family. We will miss her dearly," her daughter said in an interview with British radio station LBC. Charles is survived by her daughter Carol and sons David and Peter. Her husband died in 1997.

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