Season 45 of Antiques Roadshow premieres Monday, January 2, 2023 at
8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on BBC First in Canada
(Toronto, ON – December 5, 2022) – Camilla, the Queen Consort, visited Antiques Roadshow as the show welcomed thousands of visitors to the Eden Project in Cornwall.
During her tour, the Queen Consort met presenter Fiona Bruce, participated in an Antiques Roadshow game, and brought items from her private collection and the Royal Collection to be assessed by the show’s experts.
The Queen Consort was filmed discussing the objects with Justin Croft, an expert in books and manuscripts, and Duncan Campbell, a silver specialist. However, no value was put on the royal items.
As part of her visit, the Queen Consort joined jewelry specialist Geoffrey Munn and Fiona Bruce in the Mediterranean Biome to film a ‘Guess the Mystery Object’ game, which will feature in the programme when it is broadcast in 2023 on BBC First in Canada.
The Antiques Roadshow production team gave the Queen Consort a behind-the-scenes tour as they finished filming the 45th series of the programme, which remains one of the most popular factual programmes on the BBC.
The Queen Consort also had the opportunity to meet members of the public who brought their items to the Eden Project, to be valued by the team of Roadshow experts.
Fiona Bruce, who has presented Antiques Roadshow since 2008, hosted the tour and said: “I think [the Queen Consort] really enjoyed visiting the Roadshow. She was such a good sport and talked to many of our visitors here, the crew and our specialists.
She brought along a couple of items, and our book specialist and silver specialist talked her through them. So, I would say she had the full roadshow experience – this is the last programme we’re filming this year and what a wonderful way to end with such a special guest.”
Robert Murphy, series editor of Antiques Roadshow, said: “The Roadshow team were thrilled to welcome [the Queen Consort] to the Eden Project, and in time-honoured fashion, our experts were able to provide some insight into the history of the two fascinating objects she brought along. Viewers will be able to find out more early next year.”
Antiques Roadshow, Season 45 premieres Monday, January 2, 2023 at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on BBC First in Canada.
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First broadcast in 1979, the Roadshow remains one of the most popular factual programmes on BBC One, with millions of people regularly watching on Sunday evenings.
Some of the Roadshow’s most fascinating finds include a Faberge flower ornament worth £1million, a guitar owned by not one but two Beatles, a handwritten document signed by Elizabeth I, a ring containing a lock of author Charlotte Bronte’s hair, a wristwatch owned by Lawrence of Arabia, a 17th Century miniature book reviewing Shakespeare’s plays, and a leather jacket worn by John F Kennedy.
Many objects featured on the Roadshow are found in some extraordinary places. Winston Churchill’s hat and letters were discovered in a dump near London, a gold necklace in a bag of compost, and a vanity set from Donald Trump’s yacht was found in a charity shop.
For the past four decades, the award-winning show has visited hundreds of venues in the UK and abroad. Before Covid, thousands of people would turn up on the day of filming, many queuing for several hours to show an expert their family heirlooms or car boot bargains. Through Covid, the Roadshow continued filming with strict safety measures and a carefully controlled invited audience only.
In summer 2022, Antiques Roadshow opened the doors to ticketed guests for the first time in its history.