Queen Elizabeth II Loved ‘Twin Peaks,’ According to Show Composer

Queen Elizabeth II Kyle McLachlan
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images; ABC Photo Archives/Everett Collection

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many stories have been told by people who encountered the late British monarch throughout her lengthy reign. Now an interview with Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti has resurfaced where he claims that Her Majesty was an avid fan of the iconic series, which first aired in 1990.

According to Badalamenti, who is a long-time collaborator of show creator David Lynch, the Queen turned down a private performance from Paul McCartney so that she could watch Twin Peaks. This was back in the days long before streaming and watching shows on-demand, and it’s not known if the royal possessed a video recorder so that she could catch up with the show later if she wanted.

Queen Elizabeth II passed on September 8 at the age of 96, after being on the throne for 70 years. Her funeral will take place in London on Monday, September 19.

In a resurfaced interview with British music publication NME in 2011, Badalamenti states, “Back when Twin Peaks was kicking off around the world, I flew by Concorde to London, to work with Paul McCartney at Abbey Road. He said, ‘Let me tell you a story.'” Badalamenti continues, “Not long before we met, he’d been asked to perform for the Queen for her birthday celebrations. And when he met her, he started to say, ‘I’m honored to be here tonight, your Majesty, and I’m going to play some music for you.’ And the Queen says, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t stay, it’s five to eight and I have to go and watch Twin Peaks.”

Twin Peaks used to be must-see television following its debut in April 8, 1990, but who knew Queen Elizabeth kept up as well? It makes us wonder if she ever circled back to watch the Twin Peaks revival series in 2017.