Speaking at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scottish politician Anas Sarwar said that King Charles referenced the Netflix show, a dramatic take on Queen Elizabeth’s reign while introducing himself to Parliament members at an event last year.
“He came over and went, ‘Hello, nice to meet you all. I’m nowhere near how they portray me on Netflix,’ ” Sarwar recalled, according to the Daily Mail. “I thought that was a really interesting way of how you describe yourself.”
Sarwar continued, “I’m going to be in so much trouble for this because I don’t think you are meant to tell private conversations!”
King Charles was portrayed by Josh O’Connor in seasons 3 and 4, depicting Charles‘ young adulthood, including his early romance and wedding to Princess Diana. O’Connor earned an Emmy in 2021 for his work.
The role of King Charles will be taken over by Dominic West for The Crown’s final two seasons, keeping with the show replacing their casts as the characters age.
According to Hello! magazine, Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie as well as Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex have seen the show, while Mike Tindall (who is married to the Queen’s granddaughter Zara) has talked about the show on his podcast.
Vanessa Kirby, who played Princess Margaret in the show’s first two seasons, said that Eugenie has confirmed that the Queen herself has seen it.
Prince Harry also spoke about the show during an appearance on The Late Show with James Corden in 2021.
“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,” the Duke of Sussex said.
