Princess Margaret appeared on the soap in 1984

Last month The Archers paid tribute to Princess Margaret, who died at the age of 71.

She became the first royal to ever appear in a soap in 1984.

Margaret joined the countryside soap for one episode to highlight children's charity the NSPCC, of which she was president.

The soap was first broadcast on January 1, 1951 and is the longest running on either TV or radio.

Drama

It was originally the brainchild of civil servants at the Ministry of Agriculture who hoped the programme would encourage people back to farming after the war.

It was promoted as "an everyday story of country folk" but tips and advice about changes in agriculture were woven into storylines.

But its dramatic content soon captured the public's imagination and when Grace Archer died in 1955, an audience of 20 million hung on to every word.

The show has had its ups and downs since then. At one point it was almost taken off the air in favour of a series called Waggoner's Walk.

It has gone on to become an institution, loved by millions of listeners throughout the country who follow the trials and tribulations of the Archer family in the village of Ambridge.