'I BINGE-WATCHED IT AND FELT BETTER'

The Queen reveals how Rivals cheered her up during a bout of pneumonia as she meets the show's stars on a tour of the set

- TRACY SCHAVERIEN

It's the raunchy TV series that captivated viewers last year, and Rivals proved the perfect cure for the Queen when she binge-watched the show while she was ill with pneumonia, she revealed last week.

Her Majesty enjoyed a day on the set of the Disney+ show in Bristol, where the second series of the popular adaptation of the late Dame Jilly Cooper's “bonkbuster” is being filmed.

She met cast members including Alex Hassell, who plays lothario Rupert Campbell-Black, David Tennant, Victoria Smurfit, Bella Maclean and Nafessa Williams.

"How nice to see you - I've watched you all. It looks really fun," Camilla said as she was given a behind-the-scenes tour.

"It's really good fun and we all get on very well, which makes all the saucy stuff not too awkward," Alex told her. "We struggle [not to laugh]... the more you're not supposed to, the more you do. I suppose you must have found yourself in those positions quite a lot," he added, cheekily.