Hit new royal play, By Royal Appointment, began a four-day run at the Richmond Theatre in London on Tuesday evening and had the audience in stitches when it predicted what would happen to Prince Andrew in the future. Written by Daisy Goodwin, the creator of ITV’s period drama Victoria, the play charts Queen Elizabeth II’s reign through the years.
Instead of dramatising the late monarch’s reign through historical events, Goodwin explores the discreet power Queen Elizabeth wielded through diplomatic dressing. The show has been inspired, in part, by the devoted and confidential relationship she had with her personal dresser, Angela Kelly.
Beginning in 1969 with the investiture of the then-Prince Charles as Prince of Wales, the play goes up to the present day, before predicting what will happen in 2026.
Before each new year in which the play is set, landmark moments are read out – including historical events and the release of hit TV shows or music.
While the show follows Queen Elizabeth’s reign from 1969 until her death in 2022, a future moment from 2026 involving Prince Andrew was also predicted.
The narrator appeared back on stage and said: “The Duke of York has signed up for I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.”
The joke was met with huge laughter from the audience, forcing the narrator to take a pause before listing other predictions.