Biography
Jeannette Charles (née Clark) was a British actress noted for her portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II. Born in London in 1927, she aspired to an acting career from an early age and appeared in amateur productions and repertory theatre, though her resemblance to the Queen initially hindered her progress with Equity.
She began working as a professional lookalike in the early 1970s and appeared as the Queen in films including The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978), National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985), The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). Her television credits include episodes of Mind Your Language (1977) and Saturday Night Live (1977). Charles retired in 2014 and died in Great Baddow, Essex, in 2024.
