- He is the only actor to appear in all of the top three of the British Film Institute's 100 Greatest British Television Programmes: L'hôtel en folie (1975), Cathy Come Home (1966) and Docteur Who (1963).
- Frequent co-star of close friend, Dame Judi Dench.
- He served as a corporal instructor in small arms and field training in the Royal Marines.
- He is one of 33 performers who have acted in both the 20th Century and 21st Century Doctor Who TV Series.
- He played Frank Middlemass's son in As Time Goes By (1992) even though he was actually only eight years younger than him.
- Alan Bennett, who worked with Palmer on The Insurance Man (1986), calls him in his diary, "A splendid actor with an absolutely deadpan face... an English Walter Matthau". John Cleese also spoke highly of Palmer's abilities on his DVD commentary for The Kipper and the Corpse (1979).
- Father of director Charlie Palmer (they worked together on The Clocks (2009)) and ex-father-in-law of Claire Skinner.
- He was awarded the O.B.E. (Officer of the order of the British Empire) in the 2005 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to Drama.
- He has acted in both the Eon James Bond franchise and Doctor Who franchise (three roles).
- He was educated as a public school day boy in London.
- Has two children, one son Charles, and one daughter, Harriett.
- He found doing a play at the National Theatre in 1974 so boring that it largely put him off stage work for good.
- Enjoys gardening and squash.
- His wife, Sally, was a nurse.
- His first ambition was to rub a pub.
- His elder brother was a dentist.
- He was considered for the roles of Dr. Armstrong and Sir Percy Heseltine in Lifeforce - L'étoile du mal (1985).
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