For the sixth season of the Netflix drama The Crown, Prince William and Kate Middleton have been cast after a lengthy casting process.
William is getting a double dosage from the producers, who have cast two actors to play him as he transitions from a teen to a young adult.
Teenager Rufus Kampa assumes the role of Prince William aged 15, while Ed McVey will portray the prince’s later teen and early adult years. Newcomer Meg Bellamy has been cast as Kate.
Kampa appears in episodes that chart how the British Royal Family coped with the tragic death of William’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in August 1997.
Kampa, who is still young, already has a long list of credits for theatre roles. He has appeared in numerous productions off-West End and made his professional stage debut three years ago playing the title role in Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole 13 & 3/4s: The Musical.
William’s wooing of Kate will be depicted in McVey’s stories, along with how they first connected in 2001 while both were Art History students at the University of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are the couple’s new title after their 2011 wedding.
Following his graduation from the Drama Centre London in 2021, McVey understudied in the play Camp Siegfried at the London Old Vic. A quick glance at his profile on the Spotlight casting website reveals that he possesses a number of qualities necessary for the role of prince William, including the ability to speak with a heightened RP “Queen’s English” accent, proficiency with firearms and the ability to snowboard.
Kate will be played by new talent Bellamy, whose career to date has involved amateur dramatics and film-making. She and Kampa were auditioned by casting directors upon submitting self-taped videos following a casting call on social media.
All three are new to television roles. Later this year, filming will start for ‘The Crown Season 06’.
