As much as the royal family like to say they’re not interested in The Crown, Netflix’s fictionalized saga about their lives, Prince Charles has finally acknowledged that he’s at least familiar with how the show portrays his younger self. Because of course they watch it. Wouldn’t you? I know I would.
Anyway, a Scottish politician by the name of Anas Sarwar said, according to the Daily Mail, that when he first met Charles, the current heir to the throne introduced himself thus: “Hello, nice to meet you all. I’m nowhere near how they portray me on Netflix.” Sarwar added, “I thought that was a really interesting way of how you describe yourself.” Perhaps ironically for the prince, incredible awkwardness in social situations is pretty much exactly how he’s portrayed on Netflix, as played by Josh O’Connor.
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I (obviously) don’t have a personal relationship with Prince Charles, so I can’t confirm or deny either way. But I do believe this is the first time that Charles has positively confirmed that he’s seen the show, which dramatizes his early relationship with Princess Diana as well as his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. Season 4 ends with Prince Charles’s character unloading all of his anger on Diana in a nasty fight that depicts the prince at his absolute worst—so it’s no wonder the real Prince Charles would prefer to be seen as, well, not that.
But no royal family member who has admitted to having seen The Crown has ever given the show major points for perfect accuracy. The most that could be said came from Prince Harry, who told James Corden (via People), “It gives you a rough idea about that lifestyle, and the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, and what can come from that.”
