Helena Bonham Carter was ‘apprehensive’ about The Crown role

Helena Bonham Carter has admitted The Crown bosses thought she was ‘insulting’ them when she didn’t immediately agree to play Princess Margaret.

The actress, 54, plays the royal in series three and four of the hit Netflix drama but she was initially apprehensive about taking on the part.      

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she said: ‘With Margaret, I was very conscious that I was inheriting a hit. I was conscious that Vanessa [Kirby] had just won a BAFTA. At the beginning, the first two weeks, everyone was terrified. Then you relax.

‘But the other thing was I have to see a script and have to respond to the words. People were shocked that I wouldn’t just take it.

‘I think [creator Peter] Morgan thought I was insulting them, and I wasn’t. I just needed to know whether I could do it.’

However, Helena agreed to do the show after she was sent the script for the last episode of the series where she felt she ‘connected’ with Margaret.

The film star added that she took so long to say yes, not because of a lack of faith in the project, but because of a lack of faith in herself. 

Helena has thrown herself wholeheartedly into the series and said she goes to ‘extreme’ lengths in order to get into character.

As well as professional success, the star’s love life is also going from strength to strength courtesy of her relationship with Rye Dag Holmboe, 32.

Helena and Rye have been dating for more than a year now and in the December issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK, the actress discussed her new man. 

She said the romance has been ‘a bit of unexpected magic in my life’ following her split from ex Tim Burton in 2014.

The Cinderella star had a famously unconventional 13-year relationship with director Tim, 61.

Helena and Tim lived in two adjourning houses in London during their romance, and are parents to children Billy, 16, and Nell, 12.

On moving on from the American animator, the Enid star – who previously dated Irish actor Kenneth Branagh between 1994 and 1999 – admitted she grew tired of ‘grieving’ their relationship, and now leads a ‘happy’ life with her new boyfriend.

‘You break up, you grieve, you get bored of grieving’, she told Harper’s Bazaar.

‘And then you finally move on’. I’m very happy with someone else. It’s been a bit of unexpected magic in my life.’