The Windsors returns for coronation special and will mercilessly lampoon King Charles

Channel 4 comedy The Windsors returns for a coronation special ahead of King Charles’ big day on May 6.

The soap opera-inspired sitcom satirises the famous family with Harry Enfield playing a power-hungry Charles and Haydn Gwynne as the wicked stepmother Camilla.

The feature-length episode will see the Monarch wishing for an epic ascension to the throne, only for Prince William (Hugh Skinner) to scale back proceedings in an attempt to reflect the cost-of-living crisis.

The official synopsis reads: “Charles’ whole life has been building up to this moment and he wants the UK’s first coronation in seventy years to be a spectacular event with all the pomp and circumstance it deserves.”

Like his queen consort Camilla, who can’t wait to dress in diamonds and fur. Sadly the UK is in the midst of a cost of living crisis and Wills believes the coronation should reflect these more difficult times.”

Impersonation: The soap opera-inspired sitcom lampoons the famous family with Harry Enfield playing a power-hungry Charles and Haydn Gwynne as the wicked stepmother Camilla.

King: The feature-length episode will see the Monarch wishing for an epic ascension to the throne, only for Prince William (Hugh Skinner) to scale back proceedings in an attempt to reflect the cost-of-living crisis.

Other returning characters include the Duchess of Cambridge Kate (Louise Ford), Princesses Beatrice (Ellie White) and Eugenie (Celeste Dring). As well as Charles’s siblings Anne (Vicki Pepperdine), Edward (Matthew Cottle) and Kate’s sister Pippa (Morgana Robinson).

Channel 4 head of comedy Joe Hallait said: “Any channel worth its salt has a historic show with the word coronation in the title.”

‘For the BBC it was the world’s first televised coronation in 1953. For ITV it is the world’s longest-running soap opera ‘Coronation Street’.

“We at Channel 4 are delighted to announce that we now have our own record-breaking crown jewel at the heart of our broadcast crown – the funniest show on TV during a momentous week for Britain.”

The comedy skit previously foresaw the Sussexes’ move to America, a hearing before the real-life drama unfolded.

“It’s a seat-of-the-pants operation,” said writer Bert Tyler More, who along with George Jeffrie honed their craft on sketch shows like Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry & Paul and The Armstrong & Miller Show, and he created the Channel 4 celebrity parody series Star Stories.

“Interestingly, we predicted a move to the United States for Meghan and Harry, so it’s almost as if events will unfold exactly as we prophesied.”

“We saw that a feud was brewing and there was a bit of unhappiness there, so we thought that might be the result.”

Gangs Back Together: Other returning characters include the Duchess of Cambridge Kate (Louise Ford), Princesses Beatrice (Ellie White) and Eugenie (Celeste Dring). As well as Charles’s siblings Anne (Vicki Pepperdine), Edward (Matthew Cottle) and Kate’s sister Pippa (Morgana Robinson).

The show began in 2016 with the writing duo creating parodies of all the key members of the family, plus the Queen and Prince Philip.

“I think from the beginning everyone thought that the Queen is so loved and respected and that she does nothing wrong, that it was best to stay away,” Bert explains.

‘There’s not much to get the mickey out, whereas with the others there’s a lot.’

The third series follows Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding special in 2018, and sees the couple adjusting to life as new parents with Harry trying to stick to Meghan’s clean-living ways.

Harry is now played by Tom Durant-Pritchard, who played Billy Wallace, briefly fiancé to Princess Margaret, on The Crown, while Kathryn Drysdale continues as Meghan, a role she’s been playing since the show began.

“When I started playing her, all we knew was that she was an actress from Los Angeles who had a lifestyle blog and loved her green juices,” says Kathryn.

“But since then there have been more public appearances, so I had a lot more to investigate.

Foreshadowing: The comedy spoof previously foresaw the Sussexes’ move to America, a hearing before the real-life drama unfolded (Kathryn Drysdale as Megan Markle and Tom Durant-Pritchard as Prince Harry pictured)

Kathryn has played Meghan since 2016, when she appeared as Prince Harry’s new girlfriend in Los Angeles. She is pictured with Richard Goulding as Harry and Morgana Robinson as Pippa Middleton, in an earlier series of The Windsors.

“I noticed that his accent has faded a bit and that’s obviously part of the job.

“Because she’s American and Prince Harry, Princess Diana’s son, found love with her after being single for so long, people will always find her narrative interesting, whether they’ve stepped back as royals or not”.

However, there are elements of being a member of the Royal Family that Meghan seems to enjoy in the new episodes of The Windsors.

“She’s using her position as a platform to talk about the things she truly believes in and superfoods, especially avocados, are one of them,” laughs Kathryn.

“She got Harry off alcohol and they just went to a wellness retreat where she integrated part of her yoga lifestyle into his.

“I don’t know if she has a strong hold on Harry in real life, but she certainly does in the world of our Windsors.”

Tom also likes to play Harry. “It’s a really fun role,” he says. “Actually, Harry keeps succumbing to some of his old vices, like alcohol, chips and peanuts, all the things he likes, even though he tries not to.

Big day: The Coronation will take place on Saturday May 6 at Westminster Abbey. It will be a bank holiday weekend, allowing Brits to celebrate on Monday 8th May as well.

On air: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have confirmed that they have been invited to the King’s Coronation, but have declined to say if they will attend.

“It’s a slightly different vibe than appearing in The Crown, but The Windsors isn’t done in a way that’s cruel.

“Everything is taken to a ridiculous level and I think that’s why it’s so enjoyable. However, I think it would be a bit of an awkward conversation if I met Harry and he said that he saw it.

Bert and George say they’ve heard the show has had a mixed reaction from the royals. “William gave a talk on Channel 4 and obviously saw it because he referenced it,” says George.

But it didn’t seem like he was angry. We’ve heard that other people are a bit cross about it, like Charles and Fergie. But it’s all rumours.

Neither Bert nor George are royalists, and they think it’s vital that there be parodies of such institutions whether you like them or not.

“Things like The Crown can be quite reverent for the royal family, so it’s great to be able to take the mickey,” says Bert.

“Having said that, we try to make all of our characters lovable. The trick is to win over both those who are fans of the Royal Family and those who are not. I believe we have made it.