A new romance will usher in a new era for Netflix’s The Crown.
The streaming service on Thursday unveiled the first photos for The Crown Season 6, set to premiere later this year.
Inspired by real events, The Crown is a fictional dramatization of the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign.
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.
Ed McVey (23) takes on the role of Prince William in the later episodes of this sixth season.
This will be Ed’s professional screen debut, having appeared on stage at The Old Vic and at Hammersmith Riverside Studios following his graduation from the Drama Centre London in 2021.
Newcomer Meg Bellamy (19) was cast as Kate Middleton after submitting an audition tape following a casting call on social media.
Ed and Meg filmed scenes for the upcoming series in St Andrews, Scotland, earlier this year, enjoying some real-life locations that their characters frequented twenty years ago, including the famous Northpoint Cafe where Kate and Prince William met.
With the series catching up to the present, there’s plenty to unpack in the final season, and it remains unclear just how present the series will get.
The Crown has been widely criticized for its portrayal of the Royal Family, with many calls for it to air with a fictional disclaimer.
It’s hard to imagine that changing for the final season, but the casting so far for William and Kate is on point.
What are your thoughts on the photos?
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The first five seasons of The Crown are streaming now on Netflix.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.