It’s not every day you get to meet the woman who plays you on TV—but that’s exactly what happened when Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, met Emerald Fennell, the actress who portrays her on Netflix’s hit The Crown.
Fennell was at Camilla’s home, Clarence House, for a reception to mark International Women’s Day this week. The two women happily chatted, laughed together, and even posed together for a photo.
“It was particularly nice to meet her today on International Women's Day because, you know, she does so much for so many particularly female charities,” Fennell told journalist Georgie Prodromou, via PEOPLE. “I was nervous I might be thrown in the Tower—but so far, so good.”
Fennell took on the role of the then Camilla Parker-Bowles for seasons three and four of the show, and, though she wouldn’t disclose exactly what she discussed with her real-life royal counterpart, she praised the Duchess of Cornwall, saying “she’s been in the spotlight for a long time and has always weathered it with grace.”
For her part, Camilla mentioned Fennell in her speech at the reception—and, with her trademarked sense of humor on full display, scored laughs while doing so.
“For me, it’s very reassuring to know that if I should fall off my perch at any moment, my fictional alter ego is here to take over,” Camilla said. “So Emerald—be prepared!”
For seasons five and six of The Crown, Fennell will be replaced by Olivia Williams, who will take the storyline through the 1990s—including the dramatic breakdown of Princess Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles, in no small part because of Charles’ affair with Camilla.
