News : Alice and Jeanette Charles

Jeannette Charles always thought it was funny when people pointed out her resemblance to the then Princess Elizabeth when she was a teenager.

It was only in 1972 when she commissioned an artist to paint a portrait of her for her husband's birthday that her appearance brought her attention.

The artist who painted her picture wrote about her likeness in her local newspaper the Essex Chronicle.

Mrs Charles related how the story was picked up by the national media with the word "look-a-like" coined by a Daily Express reporter.

"I lived in a village and the next village wanted me to open a greengrocer's shop.

"That's how it built up and I had David Frost, Bill Grundy and all kinds of people interviewing me."

Hollywood treatment
As the Queen she appeared in the Chevy Chase comedy National Lampoon's European Vacation and in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad where she acted opposite Leslie Nielsen.

"It was wonderful going all the way to Hollywood and being treated like one of them," she said.

"Leslie Nielsen used to sit with me and talk about when he was a DJ. I was just one of the gang."

She said she has a lot of respect for the Royal Family.

"I'm one year younger than the Queen," she said. "I was brought up to respect the Royal Family and stand for the National Anthem."

She said she came from an era when women were expected to be wives and mothers but her likeness to the Queen meant she had been "very lucky" and enjoyed all kinds of opportunities.

"I've been all around the world and met Lords and Ladies. I've had a wonderful life," she said.

Although ill health has prevented her from doing public appearances for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee she said she is looking forward to watching the coverage at home.

She said: "I think the Royal family are absolutely amazing. I really do."

by Emma Kasprzak
BBC News