Why the BBC kept the Duchess of Edinburgh’s latest appearance secret for weeks

The Duchess of Edinburgh has delighted fans of The Archers by making a surprise cameo appearance in the long-running BBC Radio 4 drama.

Sophie, a self-confessed fan of the programme, appeared as herself in Thursday evening’s episode, which was broadcast during the show’s 75th anniversary year.

The Duchess secretly recorded her role at the BBC’s Mailbox studios in Birmingham in May, with behind-the-scenes photographs now revealing her smiling in front of a script and microphone alongside members of the cast.

In the episode, Sophie appeared in her real-life role as honorary president of Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF), making a surprise visit to the fictional Borchester Show.

She shared scenes with Tim Bentinck, who plays David Archer, David Troughton, who portrays Tony Archer, and Susie Riddell, who stars as Tracy Horrobin.

Ahead of the broadcast, The Archers teased: “Nerves are frayed on the day of the Borchester Show, and a surprise guest makes their mark.”

During her visit to the BBC studios, Sophie met the cast and crew behind the programme and was photographed chatting with Charles Collingwood, who has played Brian Aldridge for more than four decades.

The Duchess is not the first member of the Royal Family to appear in the iconic radio drama.

Queen Camilla made a cameo appearance in 2011, playing herself as President of the National Osteoporosis Society during a special episode celebrating the programme’s 60th anniversary.

Nearly three decades earlier, Princess Margaret also appeared in The Archers. In 1984, Queen Elizabeth II’s younger sister featured as a surprise guest at a fundraising fashion show held at the fictional Grey Gables hotel in aid of the NSPCC.

First broadcast in 1951, The Archers is the world’s longest-running continuous drama serial, with more than 20,000 episodes to its name. Millions of listeners continue to tune in to follow life in the fictional village of Ambridge, where storylines have tackled issues ranging from farming and climate change to domestic abuse, alcoholism and modern slavery.