Helen Ryan
1

Helen Ryan

Born

June 16, 1938 (86 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

Liverpool, England, UK

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.

Old Guy

Old Guy

Tory Dolinski

5.7

2024

The Raisin

The Raisin

Woman at Door

0.0

2017

The Crown

The Crown

Queen's Dresser · (4 episodes)

8.2

2016

Saddam Goes to Hollywood

8.0

2016

Fallen Angel

Fallen Angel

Angel's Neighbor · (3 episodes)

4.5

2007

Confetti

Confetti

Naturist Violinist

5.5

2006

The Brides in the Bath

The Brides in the Bath

Mrs. Farraday

5.9

2003

Bertie and Elizabeth

Bertie and Elizabeth

Queen Wilhelmina

5.6

2002

Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders

Mrs. Hilliard · (1 episode)

7.5

1997

Bella Block

Bella Block

Meredith Walters · (1 episode)

2.6

1993

The Hawk

The Hawk

Mrs Crowther

5.8

1993

Harry

Lady Jenvey · (1 episode)

3.5

1993

Heartbeat

Heartbeat

Betty Hawkins · (1 episode)

7.0

1992

Crystalstone

Crystalstone

Aunt

6.0

1987

My Brother Jonathan

My Brother Jonathan

Lavinia Dakers · (5 episodes)

5.0

1985

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Princess of Wales · (1 episode)

8.1

1984

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Mrs McFarlane · (1 episode)

8.1

1984

Misunderstood

Misunderstood

Lucy

6.7

1983

Clash of Loyalties

Clash of Loyalties

Gertrude Bell

5.0

1983

The Elephant Man

The Elephant Man

Princess Alex

8.1

1980

Jenny Can't Work Any Faster

Maureen

0.0

1975

Edward the Seventh

Edward the Seventh

Queen Alexandra · (13 episodes)

6.9

1975

Van der Valk

Van der Valk

Eva Maris · (1 episode)

5.8

1972

Persuasion

Persuasion

Mrs. Harville · (5 episodes)

6.8

1971

The Lift

Margot

0.0

1965