William seen holding hands with Kate in new images from Netflix’s The Crown
William, played by Ed McVey, and Kate Middleton, played by Meg Bellamy, from the sixth season of Netflix’s The Crown (Netflix)
Netflix has released images of The Crown showing Prince William and Kate Middleton holding hands while strolling through St Andrews, where the pair first met.
The popular royal drama’s sixth and final series will see the debut of Ed McVey as William and Meg Bellamy take on the role of Kate.
In one picture, McVey – wearing a dark blue jumper, light blue shirt and jeans – and Bellamy – in a greyish jumper and jeans – are seen hand-in-hand while strolling through the Scottish town, where the royal couple attended university before graduating in 2005.
William and Kate began a relationship after she caught the 19-year-old prince’s attention when she strode down the catwalk in a sheer dress for a charity fashion show.
The actors filmed scenes in St Andrews earlier this year, including at locations that their characters reportedly used to go to 20 years ago.
The Netflix series – described as “inspired by real events” and a “fictional dramatisation” of the British Queen’s life – will be exploring William’s arrival at the University of St Andrews.
The royal will be shown “determined to lead as normal a life as possible while he still can”, the production said, as he meets Kate for the first time and a “new romance and a new future for The Crown begins”.
Other images shared by the streaming giant include Kate in what appears to be a classroom and William sitting in a chair where he is surrounded by photo frames while wearing a suit and tie.
Outside of the production, McVey and Bellamy also posed for a picture outside Northpoint Cafe, which Kate and William are said to have frequented while studying at St Andrews.
William and Kate briefly split in 2007 before he proposed in November 2010 and the couple married the following year.
They have three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
William has been played previously by Senan West, son of Dominic West, the actor who plays the future King, and the sixth series will see both Rufus Kampa and McVey portray the character.
McVey, 23, is making his professional screen debut in the new season following theatre work at The Old Vic and at Hammersmith Riverside Studios following his graduation from the Drama Centre London in 2021.
Bellamy, 19, was cast as Kate after submitting an audition tape as part of a casting call on social media.
The Crown will return with 10 episodes later this year, with actors such as Imelda Staunton as the Queen and Elizabeth Debicki continuing her role as Princess Diana.
The series was due to end after the fifth season, but the show’s creator and writer Peter Morgan later said it would be extended to include a sixth series.
