Helen Ryan
Helen Ryan (born June 16, 1938, in Liverpool, Lancashire) is a British actress, who is notable for playing several royal roles. The Liverpool native played Princess and then Queen Alexandra in the British television series Edward the Seventh, for which she received a BAFTA nomination in 1975. She also played Princess Alexandra in the 1980 movie The Elephant Man and the Sherlock Holmes story "The Mazarin Stone". She played another royal, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, in the 2002 television drama Bertie and Elizabeth. Her other credits include Madame Balzac in the TV series Prometheus: The Life of Balzac (1975), Mrs. McFarlane in the Sherlock Holmes story "The Norwood Builder", and films such as Clash of Loyalties (1983), Misunderstood (1984) and The Hawk (1993). More recently, Ryan has appeared as Peggy Roath, a personal aide to Queen Elizabeth II, in the fifth season of The Crown in 2022. In 2023, she appeared in the BBC soap opera Doctors as Thelma Scott. She was formerly married to the theatre director Guy Slater, with whom she had a daughter, Rebecca, and a son, Daniel.
Known For
Credits
- 2017 · The Raisin as Woman at Door
- 2016 · The Crown as Queen's Dresser
- 2016 · Saddam Goes to Hollywood as
- 2007 · Fallen Angel as Angel's Neighbor
- 2006 · Confetti as Naturist Violinist
- 2003 · The Brides in the Bath as Mrs. Farraday
- 2002 · Bertie and Elizabeth as Queen Wilhelmina
- 1997 · Midsomer Murders as Mrs. Hilliard
- 1994 · Bella Block as Meredith Walters
- 1993 · The Hawk as Mrs Crowther
- 1993 · Harry as Lady Jenvey
- 1992 · Heartbeat as Betty Hawkins
- 1987 · Crystalstone as Aunt
- 1985 · My Brother Jonathan as Lavinia Dakers
- 1984 · Sherlock Holmes as Princess of Wales
- 1984 · Sherlock Holmes as Mrs McFarlane
- 1984 · Misunderstood as Lucy
- 1983 · Clash of Loyalties as Gertrude Bell
- 1980 · The Elephant Man as Princess Alex
- 1975 · Jenny Can't Work Any Faster as Maureen
- 1975 · Edward the Seventh as Queen Alexandra
- 1972 · Van der Valk as Eva Maris
- 1971 · Persuasion as Mrs. Harville