Does this mean Prince Charles has watched The Crown?

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published 21 August 2022

Prince Charles has let slip his opinions on the way he is portrayed in Netflix's The Crown.

A passing comment made by Prince Charles regarding his portrayal in The Crown has sparked conversation about the royal family's opinions on the show
The comment was made during the state opening of Scottish Parliament last year and was only revealed earlier this week.
In other royal news, Prince George is tipped to revolutionise the royal family when he becomes a working royal

Scrolling through Netflix, most people would be surprised to find a show sharing their family's history, airing all their dirty laundry and publicising moments they would rather forget, but for the royal family, this is the norm.

Most members of the royal family have never publicly commented on whether they have watched Netflix drama The Crown, let alone mentioned their opinions of it. But recently, Scottish politician Anas Sarwar revealed that Prince Charles briefly shared his opinion on the show during the state opening of Scottish Parliament last year.

According Sarwar, as reported by the Daily Mail, when Charles met with politicians in Edinburgh before the state opening, he introduced himself by saying, "Hello, nice to meet you all. I'm nowhere near how they portray me on Netflix."

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Sarwar commented on the introduction, saying, "I thought that was a really interesting way of how you describe yourself." Perhaps realising what his passing comment may mean for publicity, he then told those around him, "I'm going to be in so much trouble for this!"

So, Charles' comment implies that he has at least seen parts of The Crown. Whether he has watched the whole of season three, the season when we are introduced to the fully grown Prince Charles, is unclear, but it is doubtful he was referencing seasons one and two where he is still portrayed as a child.

He is not the first royal to let it slip that they have watched the show. Princess Eugenie went as far to admit she is a fan, saying, "You feel very proud to watch it. I can't speak for everyone but that's how I felt when I watched it."

During their sit down interview with Oprah Winfrey, both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also admitted to having seen some of the show.

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Earlier this year, Prince Charles' wife Camilla, Duchess of Corwnwall, hosted Emerald Fennell, who portrayed Camilla in The Crown, at an event at Clarence House. Ahead of the third season, Camilla's nephew Ben let slip that his aunt watches the show, so it is not out of the question that the Prince and Duchess have binge watched the Netflix drama while tucking into the good biscuits.

"It’s very reassuring to know that if I should fall off my perch at any moment, my fictional alter-ego is here to take over. So Emerald, be prepared!" Camilla joked in her speech at the event.

Still, the Duchess' comments on the show were kept to a minimum. When Fennell was asked if Camilla said anything about her performance when they met, the actress simply stated, "I’m going to be vey discreet. Loose lips sink ships.”

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.