The series, currently slated for 13 episodes, leaves plenty of time for pursuing other projects.  Hutchison tapes several episodes in one day at the Plaza Hotel in New York, then voice overs for each episode.

"The voice overs take a bit more time; it's pronunciation of the royal family names, which take a bit of practice," she says.  "The names and the histories are not things I'm used to saying every day.  I'm learning a great deal about the royal families.  I'm just giving the fact with a bit of humor here and amazement there, focusing on the love stories, the styles and what they're doing now."

Hutchison met Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana at the 1986 London premier of Hutchison's film Biggles, to which she wore a mermaid gown.  "I had this fishtail thing grabbed close to my chest so that Prince Charles could pass by me to his seat.  When I sat down, the ruffles and frills on my dress went right up into my face," she recalls with a laugh.  "Prince Charles leaned over and said, "Oh, do allow me and put them on my lap.  I said, "Oh, no, no your Royal Highness, and he said, 'Do please call me Charlie'."

As for the return to daytime, she is in discussion with several soaps, including Passions.  When asked about her dream character, Hutchison replies with glee:  "I want something I can sink my teeth into, a character who is going to be someone who is elegant, rich, powerful and extremely vicious but who has a sense of humor.  I want people to lick their lips every time she comes on screen."

Check local listings for Royal Families of the World. *

--- Kevin Ullman