Jeannette Charles, the British actor renowned for her striking resemblance to Queen Elizabeth II, has died at the age of 96. Her daughter, Carol Christophi, announced that Charles passed away on 2 June in a care home in Great Baddow, Essex.
Charles's likeness to the late monarch first gained attention in the 1970s after a portrait of her was submitted to the Royal Academy of Arts. Buckingham Palace denied that the Queen had sat for the painting, sparking media interest. Charles soon began receiving offers for roles, leading to a 50-year career as a lookalike.
She appeared in films such as National Lampoon's European Vacation, The Naked Gun, and Austin Powers in Goldmember, as well as on television shows like Saturday Night Live. Charles also worked as a lookalike for events, adverts, and music videos, and presented a silver disc to the band Queen.
Despite her impersonation work, Charles remained a staunch royalist and avoided roles that could reflect poorly on the monarch. She retired in 2014, considered the most famous Queen lookalike. Charles was born on 15 October 1927, only 18 months after Queen Elizabeth II, and lived to the same age of 96.
Her daughter described her as "a real character and a force of nature." Charles is survived by her daughter Carol and sons David and Peter. Her husband predeceased her in 1997.
