Obituary: Jeanette Charles, actress

As an actress Jeanette Charles was not one to light up the screen, but what the London-born performer had going for her was an uncanny resemblance to Queen Elizabeth II.

The wife of an oil engineer, her screen career was launched when a portrait she commissioned of herself was displayed by the artist and mistook her for the Queen.

Charles began to field offers to appear in ads and, realising that she was on to a good thing, devoted herself to perfecting her majesty’s speech and mannerisms.

She became a regular on TV and in films, appearing in everything from The Rutles' movie All You Need Is Cash to Austin Powers in Goldmember.

A staunch monarchist, Charles was careful to avoid doing anything to offend the Windsors, and turned down an offer to appear in a Playboy centrefold.

Jeanette Charles died on June 2 aged 96. — Agencies