The Crown: Helena Bonham Carter spoke to Princess Margaret’s ghost

Helena Bonham Carter has played a string of iconic characters in the span of her lengthy career as an actress. Most know her as Marla Singer in Fight Club (1999) and as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter film series. Now, Bonham Carter is taking on a more conservative role as a prim and proper princess.

In Netflix’s “The Crown” we’ll see Bonham Carter as England’s Princess Margaret, sister to Queen Elizabeth II who is played by Olivia Colman. Ever the one for peculiarities, the actress revealed that she had sought psychic help to prepare for her role as the British royal.

Bonham Carter shared her preparations for the role during a discussion at the Cheltenham Literature Festival held on Saturday. The Guardian reports that the actress tried reaching out to the late princess from beyond the grave. Princess Margaret died of heart failure back in 2002.

At the event, Bonham Carter asked Princess Margaret “Are you okay with me playing you?” She says that the princess allegedly responded, “You’re better than the other actress… that they were thinking of.” She then shared that “They will not admit who it [the other actress] was. It was me and somebody else.”

As to why she took this unusual route as she prepared for the role, Bonham Carter says, “you kind of want their blessing because you have a responsibility.”

“[Princess Margaret] was really good at complimenting you and putting you down at the same time,” the actress says of the late royal.