CAMILLA Parker-Bowles is to appear in the next series of ITV’s Grace with a cameo nobody saw coming.
The Duchess of Cornwall is gearing up for a surprise feature in the crime drama based on Peter James’ bestselling books – as a dead body.
Keen reader Camilla wrote to James as a big fan of his novels, which she had read as part of her book club, the Duchess’ Reading Room.
She later visited the show’s set in Shoreham, West Sussex, in November where she met star John Simm, and James suggested she make an on-screen appearance.
Prince Charles’ wife then left him open-mouthed when she proposed playing a corpse.
Speaking to The Argus podcast, James said: “I asked her if she’d like to come to the set and see some of the filming and she said ‘absolutely’.
“[When there] I jokingly said, ‘would you like a cameo in the next series?’, and she said, ‘yes, maybe I could be a dead body’.
“I think she might do something. I’m definitely going to drop her a note and say the offer is open.
“She was really good fun.”
The pair have been in regular contact for about six years after a photo of the duchess in her library showed she had about six Roy Grace books, which the two-part programme is based on, on her shelves.
“She said Peter James was one of her two favourite writers, so I wrote to her as a thank you,” he said.
“Since then, we had this correspondence where she would write to me after every book – a hand-written letter, always very charming.”
Grace, inspired by James’ Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead, premiered in March 2021 and quickly became a hit.
Almost nine million people tuned in for episode one in the prime-time Sunday slot, and millions more for the second instalment.
The series, which also stars Anuvahood actor Richie Campbell and Bafta-winning Rakie Ayola, follows Detective Roy Grace as he walks a career tightrope.
‘BURIED ALIVE’
Both the novels and programme tell the story of a stag night prank gone wrong and the sinister events that follow the groom’s mysterious disappearance just days before his wedding.
Things turned so dark at one point that Ofcom was bombarded with complaints over a distressing scene where one of the characters was buried alive.
The second series of Grace is due to air in March 2022 but talks about series three are already in the works.
All current episodes are available on ITV Hub.
Author James has sold more than 20 million books worldwide and has a total of 16 Sunday Times No 1s under his belt.
The full episode of The Argus Podcast featuring James will be available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts on January 22.
