Erin Doherty found watching Queen Elizabeth's funeral "more beautiful" because of her experiences on 'The Crown'.
Erin Doherty played Princess Anne in The Crown
The 30-year-old actress - who portrayed Princess Anne in seasons three and four of the Netflix regal drama - admitted it was strange watching the ceremony following the monarch's passing last month but her experiences on the show made her feel particularly connected to proceedings.
Asked if watching the funeral felt strange, she said: "Yes. We spent two years imagining what those people’s lives were like.
"There was sadness for the family, but on some level [the experience of making 'The Crown'] made it more beautiful."
Erin "really, really loves" Princess Anne but admitted she is very "intimidated" by the idea of meeting her.
She told the Observer magazine: "I’m always asked what I would say if I ever met Princess Anne, and I just don’t know. I think the world of her. I really, really love her. But she’s also intimidating to me."
When she was preparing to play the princess, Erin first needed to master her voice, and once she'd done that, she felt she "knew" who Anne was and it became easier to get into character.
She said: "It all comes from the voice. Again, I didn’t know anything about her before I was cast.
"I recorded a video of her from YouTube, and I would just walk around listening to her.
"After a while I thought: I know who this woman is. There’s a certain constraint in her voice, and the moment I started doing that myself, I felt angry and kind of caged psychologically."
The 'Chloe' actress was a promising footballer as a teenager but there came a point where she had to choose between sport and acting.
She said: "I was good. I got scouted to play for Chelsea. I was pretty intensely committed to it, and I really loved it.
"But on Sundays, my dad had to drive me to football matches, and then to my drama club. At a certain point he was just, like: Erin, I can’t do this any more'.
" I had to choose. At the time, it didn’t feel very fair. But I appreciate it now. It meant that from quite a young age – I was about 13 – I was really choosing what I would do with my time.
"Acting wasn’t something I just fell into; I was passionate about it. I feel a bit sorry for people who don’t really know what they want to do. I’ve never experienced that. From the minute I had to make a decision, it stuck."
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