Joanna Lumley “I think the world of The Queen”

Joanna Lumley believes in the mystery of monarchy, thinks The Crown TV series is “rubbish” and sees The Queen as the mother of the nation. In a fascinating interview, the 75-year-old talks about royalty, growing wiser and why we must teach our children better.

A while ago – “15, possibly 20 years” – Joanna Lumley purchased a limited-edition work of art that is the crowning glory on the wall of her study. We are meeting via video call, and in a flurry, the much-loved English actress and TV presenter excitedly picks up her laptop and swirls me – virtually – around the room, to fix my gaze on the wall opposite. There, in glorious shades of regal purple, gold, bright green, and a hint of cerise, is Joanna’s icon, Her Majesty The Queen, immortalized by the late pop-art master, Andy Warhol. “He did four colorways and 40 prints of each of them, which he signed, and then that was it. This is one of the 40, so it’s not that rare but it’s pretty special to me. I love it,” she beams proudly.

Joanna chose the image for the cover of her new book, A Queen For All Seasons, and its famous clash of contemporary vibrancy illuminating a British treasure feels completely in tune with the passionate actor and activist whose infectious energy bursts through every posh-vowelled sentence. And while the 75-year-old star of film, stage and TV would in no way endorse a comparison with the 95-year-old monarch, it’s not a stretch to see how the two women belong together.