In a bit of nepotism that the Royal Family itself would approve of, The Crown has cast its Prince William. Starring opposite Dominic West as Prince Charles in the Netflix drama’s much-anticipated fifth season is West’s own son, Senat. The 13-year-old actor has been cast in the coveted role of the future Duke of Cambridge after a “nationwide search.”
As per Variety, who broke the news, Senat West plays “a slightly older Prince William, portraying him as he begins to mature into a young man.” He’ll make his debut in the acclaimed series in the final episodes of season five. Variety notes that it wasn’t just Senat’s family ties than landed him the gig. According to the trade’s sources, “The young actor’s audition, submitted via tape by his agent, caught the attention of the show’s producers.”
Season five marks another major casting reshuffle for The Crown, much like season three before it. Olivia Colman is out as Queen Elizabeth II, with Imelda Staunton taking her place. She’s joined by Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker-Bowles, and Jonny Lee Miller as John Major. West’s Charles will appear opposite Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, William’s late mother.
Following season four’s rounding out of the 1980s, season five presses ahead into the ’90s, tackling Charles and Diana’s messy divorce and the latter’s tragic passing in the process. Khalid Abdalla was recently cast as Dodi Fayed, son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, who died in the same Paris car crash that killed Diana, who he was in a relationship with at the time.
For those who can’t wait to watch a dramatization of the end of Charles and Diana’s marriage, Kristen Stewart-led biopic Spencer is currently playing in theaters. The Crown season five, meanwhile, is believed to land on Netflix in Nov. 2022.