Fans of royal-based drama The Crown will already know that the show has no qualms about documenting people who are alive as well as dead, and that the show's executive team have firmly said after season 5 (set to drop this winter), they'll be calling it a day.
This fifth and 'final' season is believed to pick royal life back up in the 90s - where it left off in season 4 - and span through to the early 00s, controversially covering Princess Diana's death. Of course, any royal fan worth their salt will know that by 2001, Prince William and Kate Middleton had crossed paths while at St Andrews University... meaning there could well be a depiction of their early days of romance on the show.
"Peter [Morgan, the show's writer] has said it very articulately, that he simply can't write something unless there has been time to gain a proper perspective," Suzanne Mackie, exec producer, previously told Broadcast. "And I think he's always felt 10 years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context, to allow him to really understand it. I don't think he'll deviate from that."
But apparently Kate Middleton isn't worried about how she may be portrayed on the show, says one royal insider.
Prince Charles' former butler, Grant Harold, who served the future king between 2004 and 2011 (the year that Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot), has said [via OK!] that because the Duchess of Cambridge has a 'perfect' reputation, there's no need for her to be concerned.
"Kate doesn't have much to worry about, her PR and image is perfect. There is nothing not perfect about her," he explained. "At the end of the day, it's PR. Some bits are historical and some bits are drama, the Palace has always been keen to remind people it is drama."
Everyone's clicking on...
He added that some royal family members, such as Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, have been remarkably good natured at having their lives used as a plot line, pointing out that she recently came fact to face with the actor who played her on the series, Emerald Fennell – and was super jovial about the whole thing.
Referencing that the Duchess of Cambridge may one day find herself in a similar situation, Harold continued, "It will be positive. So they may well see it as good PR [for Kate]. There will be an interest for them and she is likely to come face to face with the actress that plays her at some point at an event."
Currently, it's known that Netflix are looking for two actors to play Prince Harry and Prince William. So, let's all keep watching this space and counting down the days until the November airing!
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
