Netflix’s The Crown Season 6 Releases First Look at Prince William & Kate Middleton

Ahead of The Crown season 6 premiere of the series, Netflix has released the first look photos of new additions to the series. With the sixth and final season arriving very close to the present day, the series will feature Prince William and Kate Middleton in their college years. The new photos show off a first look at Ed McVey as Prince William and Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton. In the new season, McVey will take on the role in the later episodes of the season, marking his screen debut after working on the stage. Bellamy is a newcomer to acting, having auditioned for the role after seeing a casting call on social media.

According to a Netflix press release, as The Crown enters a new decade, Prince William starts at University in St Andrew’s, determined to lead as normal a life as possible while he still can. Also beginning life as a University student, is Kate Middleton from Berkshire. As the pair meet for the first time on campus, a new romance and a new future for The Crown begins. Netflix also confirmed that scenes for The Crown season 6 were filmed at St Andrews, Scotland, using actual locations that Kate and William frequented previously. 

Despite five seasons of The Crown being released by the streamer over the years, earning multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globes since its premiere, the show courted some surprise controversy starting with season five. As a result of some events being depicted, The Crown was called out by many, including Dame Judi Dench, that it should explicitly note that it’s a fictionalized version of historical events and is not 100% accurate. 

As a result of this, Netflix was forced to include a disclaimer, writing: “Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatisation tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign.”

Further controversy was courted when Queen Elizabeth actually passed away, with many fearing the dramatic license taken by the show in some scenes might cause confusion about reality. Former series star Helena Bonham Carter even chimed in, noting that the series being a historical drama made it easier to watch but now that it has “crashed into the present” it’s becoming harder for audiences (and the real people being depicted on screen).

The Crown season six, its final, will premiere later this year.