Princess's fury at Carry On movie

Princess Margaret was furious at the makers of the Carry On films for mocking her great-great grandmother as "Queen Vicky", it has been revealed.

The Queen's sister was apparently left fuming when she visited the Snowdonia  set of Carry on Up the Khyber almost 40 years ago.

The revelation came from the Wales Screen Commission, who are honouring the movie as part of a tourist trail through film and TV locations.

On Friday September 30, a plaque will be unveiled in Llanberis, near the location shooting in 1968. The Watkin Path that leads to the summit of Snowdon, right, doubled for the Khyber Pass and the cast and crew spent several weeks in the area.

Richard Coombs, of the Wales Screen Commission said: “Princess Margaret visited the set during the filming and was shown a clip including the scene in which Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond, played by Sid James, writes to Queen Victoria.

“In the letter, Queen Victoria is addressed as ‘Dear Vicky’ and Princess Margaret was said to be incandescent with rage.  I think it’s fair to say she was definitely not amused.”

Apart from the wrath of the Royal Family, Carry on Up the Khyber is often considered the best of the series.

Andy Davidson, who runs a Carry On fan club, said: “We run a poll on the website allowing people to vote for their favourite Carry On film and Carry On up the Khyber is always way up there on top of the list.”

“One reason is that it doesn’t really feel like a British film at all – it’s very extravagant and extremely well shot and it doesn’t look anything like Wales!”

“After the actor Bernard Bresslaw had finished working on the film, he was in a restaurant with some friends and the Indian waiter came up to him.”

“The waiter asked if he had enjoyed working in his country – he was absolutely convinced that it had been shot in India.”

And Peter Rogers, who produced the Carry On series, regularly received letters from ex-soldiers who had served in India, saying they recognised where he had filmed it.

The screen commission’s Richard Coombs added: “Carry On Up the Khyber was British film comedy at its very best.”

“It had a stunning cast and stunning writing, stunning production values and almost 40 years after it was made it still holds up as a great example of British comedy.”

“I think it is appropriate that we are paying tribute to Carry On Up the Khyber to represent a brilliant series of films that are now a British institution.”

Other locations on the North Wales Film and Television Trail include Portmerion, where The Prisoner was filmed, and the Grand Hotel in Llandudno, setting of the Forsyth Saga.

Published: 11 Sep 2005