Camilla Parker Bowles played a controversial role in the royal family for many years, before she was made Queen after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Her narrative arc – from mistress to future Queen – is therefore well-documented by Olivia Williams and Emerald Fennell in the hit Netflix series, The Crown. A show that Camilla herself has admitted to watching.
Camilla first emerged on the show in season four as a close friend of Prince Charles and was played by Emerald Fennell, before Olivia Williams took the reins in seasons five and six. And in the final season of The Crown, available to stream on Netflix now, Olivia Williams hopes to humanise the historically demonised royal figure and prove that Charles and Camilla deserve a happy ending.
But who is Olivia Williams? Here's everything you need to know about her.
Who is Olivia Williams?
Olivia, 55, is a North London actress. She cut her teeth in the RSC and The National Theatre, before a role in Andrew Davies's Emma adaptation (she played Jane Fairfax to Kate Beckinsale's eponymous matchmaker) started her journey as one to watch.
She currently lives in London with her husband, actor Rhashan Stone, and their two children.
Who does Olivia Williams play in The Crown?
Olivia Williams plays Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown, although some people have confused her with the actor Claudia Harrison who plays Princess Anne in season six of The Crown.
In season five, the English actor spent most of the series wearing 'moth-eaten' jumpers and wellies while on the phone with then-Prince Charles as their affair unfolded. They even reenacted the infamous phone call – otherwise known as 'tampongate' – when Prince Charles said he wished he were Camilla's tampon (yes, really). Against all odds and the better judgement of the nation at the time, the pair became a couple – as is shown in season five.
In season six, the show takes a more empathetic stance towards their relationship and attempts to shine a light on the love they have for one another. The final season shows Camilla's 50th birthday party, which was hosted by Charles, the way the couple deal with the aftermath of Diana's death and Prince William's struggles at Eton, and their wedding in Windsor in 2005.
What has Olivia Williams starred in?
Olivia had her first screen credit in 1992, picking up roles in films like Rushmore and The Postman in the years that followed. But she really went global in 1998, when she appeared in the London episodes of Friends as a bridesmaid - Felicity - seduced by Joey at the wedding of Ross and Rachel. Sorry, Emily. Remember? 'Joey, talk New York to me...'
1999 saw her show her acting chops a little more, though, when she played the wife (spoiler: widow) of Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense. She played Jane Austen in Miss Austen Regrets, Dr Moira McTaggart in X Men: The Last Stand (don't you just love an end of credit scene?), was in Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer and starred with Carey Mulligan in An Education. Most recently, she was in Oscar-winning film The Father and is in Sky Atlantic's new show, The Nevers.
In short: she's done a lot of good work. But it would be remiss to ignore her stage work too. Highlights include Tartuffe and Mosquitoes, and she was electrifying in Scenes From A Marriage.
How did Olivia Williams meet Camilla?
Both Olivia Williams and Camilla Parker Bowles were at the Man Booker Prize in 2017, held at London's Guildhall. They had a brief chat (and were pictured together), and to our knowledge left it at that. However, we do know that Camilla is a low-key fan of The Crown, so it's more than likely that they discussed the show.
What has Olivia WIlliams said about playing Camilla in The Crown?
In an interview with Grazia, Olivia Williams said she thinks the way Camilla was demonised by the press during the 80s and 90s was appalling. She said, ‘I think her treatment was appalling. It must have been hellish for her. They’re not the first people to be unfaithful to their husbands and wives and they’re not the first people to get divorced. They’ve proven to be very in love and very faithful.’ She added, ‘I think the right people ended up together.’
The actor also praised Camilla's ability to rise above criticism and the constant invasion of her privacy, and says it is something that makes her a suitable Queen. She said, 'When all the dust had settled and all the people who behaved badly had behaved badly, you realise that Camilla never had a rendezvous with a journalist or wrote a book called My Story or leaked information as far as we know about what an awful time she had.’