Queen Elizabeth II navigated famous cobbles with a smile

Antony Cotton met the Queen on the set of Coronation Street in July 2021

The Queen navigated the tricky cobbles well during a visit to Coronation Street, actor Antony Cotton has said.

Her Majesty walked along the region's most famous road in July 2021 to celebrate 60 years of the soap, which has been a fixture of British life for the majority of the Queen's reign.

Cotton, who has played Sean Tully in the soap since 2003, said the Queen had "navigated the terrain well".

He recalled how she had been "smiling [and] having a laugh and joke".

During the visit, Her Majesty was given a tour of the ITV drama studios in Trafford, Greater Manchester, including a stop off at the Rovers Return pub.

In July Antony Cotton took part in The Queen's Baton Relay in Bolton as part of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

The Queen previously visited Coronation Street in 1982 at its original studios in Manchester before the soap moved to Trafford in 2013.

Cotton, who has met Her Majesty on a number of occasions, told BBC Radio Manchester the Queen had an "extraordinary gift" that he would never forget.

"What the Queen does is she gets you talking about your experience," he said.

"She met so many people. That was her gift. She was a people person."

The Queen visited Coronation Street's set in 1982

He recalled how the first time he met the Queen it was like she had "glided into the room".

"She had that ability because of how recognisable she is, her iconography, she just put everyone at ease and everyone was smiling," he added.

"There wasn't a single person in the room who wasn't smiling. It was an extraordinary gift."

Fellow Coronation Street actor Bill Roache also said the Queen made you feel like you were "the only person in her life" as he reflected on his encounters with her over the years.

The 90-year-old, who is best known for playing Ken Barlow in the ITV soap, recalled meeting the late monarch personally and during her two visits to the cobbles of Weatherfield.

Roache was among the cast members who greeted the Queen when she visited the set in 2021

While appearing on This Morning, he said: "What was so lovely about her was this readiness to smile, and you felt she wanted to laugh and had a beautiful laugh."

The actor said what he enjoyed "was her sense of enjoyment", adding: "When you are with her you feel you're the only person in her life. She's extraordinary."

He admitted he felt a "great sense of personal loss" following the news of her death on Thursday.

"It's a very strange feeling but it's like a member of your family has gone but King Charles now... he's equally as warm."

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