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Victoria and Abdul: Sneak peek at Tim Piggott-Smith in one of his final roles (exclusive)


This week sees the release of ‘Victoria & Abdul’ in cinemas nationwide from 15 September, and we’re delighted to share a never-before-seen clip from the film.

Watch it above. The clip shows the Queen braving the elements on a Scottish hillside, taking some tea with her large entourage, including Abdul who is acting as her manservant.

The new film from Stephen Frears stars Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria (for the second time following 1997’s ‘Mrs. Brown’) alongside Ali Fazal as young Indian man who forges an unlikely friendship with the long-reigning monarch.

It’s also notable for featuring acting giant Tim Piggott-Smith in one of his final big screen roles.

Piggott-Smith who, amongst many other things, appeared in ‘Escape To Victory’, ‘Clash of the Titans’, ‘Gangs of New York’, and ‘Quantum of Solace’, suddenly died in April this year. He was 70.

Tim Piggott-Smith plays Queen Victoria’s private secretary Sir Henry Ponsonby in ‘Victoria and Abdul’ (Universal)
Tim Piggott-Smith plays Queen Victoria’s private secretary Sir Henry Ponsonby in ‘Victoria and Abdul’ (Universal)

His performance as the Queen’s private secretary is one of the last times he’ll be seen on screen. His final live-action performance is coming in ‘6 Days’, a dramatic retelling of the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege, which is coming to Netflix on 3 November. He’s also listed on IMDB as a voice actor on upcoming animated film ‘The Little Vampire 3D’.

Here’s the official synopsis: ‘Victoria & Abdul’ is the extraordinary true story of an unexpected friendship in the later years of Queen Victoria’s (Academy Award winner Judi Dench) remarkable rule. When Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a young clerk, travels from India to participate in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, he is surprised to find favour with the Queen herself. As the Queen questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance with a loyalty to one another that her household and inner circle all attempt to destroy. As the friendship deepens, the Queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes and joyfully reclaims her humanity.

‘Victoria & Abdul’ is directed by Stephen Frears (‘The Queen’, ‘Philomena’) and written by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot), based on the book ‘Victoria & Adbul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant’ by Shrabani Basu.

Watch a clip from ‘Victoria and Abdul’ below…


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