Prince Charles teases star-studded Christmas Eve reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Prince Charles has teamed up with several stars for a special reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

"Something special is coming this Christmas Eve ..." the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's Twitter account shared, alongside a trailer of the reading.

According to People magazine, the royals invited a small group of actors to record the poem at Clarence House individually, and some also recorded their readings remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Actors Dame Maggie Smith, Tom Hardy, Daniel Craig, Ncuti Gatwa, and Joanna Lumley are among those who joined the Prince for the recording.

The reading benefits the Actors' Benevolent Fund. Prince Charles is a patron of the charity, which supports actors, actresses, and stage managers experiencing financial hardship.

"I was terribly nervous," laughs Gatwa in the trailer, best known for his breakout role as Eric in the Netflix show Sex Education.

Prince Charles is shown in the sneak peek laughing as the director asks him to step to his left.

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A post shared by Ncuti Gatwa (@ncutigatwa)

The reading is set for release on Christmas Eve UK time.

People magazine reports Charles came up with the idea himself when asked by the fund for an idea to help the charity over the Christmas season.

The Duchess of Cornwall participated in another special reading in May this year, joining New Zealand filmmaking star Taika Waititi for a live reading of James and The Giant Peach.

She said at the time she was "thrilled" to take part in the reading, which raised money for Partners In Health.

She voiced The Ship's Captain, and even had a line that referenced the Queen.

"It's a secret weapon. Holy cats! Send a message to the Queen at once," she read.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall are spending Christmas together at Gloucestershire, and along with the rest of the royal family will not attend the Sandringham Christmas service due to the pandemic.