The Crown — Netflix's hit show all about the familial inheritance of wealth, power, titles and influence within a nepotistic institution often derided as outdated — has found its Prince William in the form of Dominic West's son, 13-year-old Senat West, after a "nationwide search," Variety reports.
The dad West takes over from fellow Brit Josh O'Connor in the hotly anticipated fifth season, portraying probable future king Prince Charles. Elizabeth Debicki, best known for her recent roles in Widows and Tenet, is set to play a very tall version of Diana, Princess of Wales, née Spencer. No doubt Debicki's performance wll draw the attention of Kristen Stewart fans across the globe, with the latter's name on the lips of awards prognosticators everywhere for her own interpretation of the people's princess in Pablo Larraín's Spencer.
Per Variety, Senan has been cast as "a slightly older Prince William, portraying him as he begins to mature into a young man," not unlike O'Connor's version of Prince Charles, which saw him bloom from a soft-spoken Cambrophile into an abusive bigamist. Hopefully, then, Senan's William doesn't follow in his on-screen dad's shoes. He will make his debut in the final episodes of The Crown Season 5, Variety continues, adding that "it's believed the young actor's audition, submitted via tape by his agent, caught the attention of the show's producers."
In September, The Kite Runner's Khalid Abdalla was cast as the doomed Dodi Fayed, the son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed who died in an infamous Paris car crash next to Diana, with whom he shared an affair. The two were pursued by paparazzi to the very end. His father will be played by Salim Daw.
The fifth season of the show will follow the English monarchy into the turbulent '90s, as Princess Diana becomes a media obsession in the wake of her divorce from Charles. One rumored plot point will focus on Diana's interview with BBC journalist Martin Bashir on the program Panorama, during which she divulged a number of details around the abuse she allegedly faced at the hands of her husband. It has been a point of controversy in the years since, with the real-life William saying earlier this year that it "holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again."
Season 5 of The Crown will also star Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip, Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Jonny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major, and Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles.
Season 5 will premiere in November 2022 on Netflix, where you can currently stream Seasons 1 through 4.