Dominic West Excluded His Son's Return as Prince William in The Crown Due to a Key Scene
Dominic West reveals why he prevented his son Senan from reprising his role as Prince William in The Crown series Find out the specific scene that led to this decision
Dominic West, star of The Crown, didn't want his son Senan West to continue playing Prince William due to a difficult scene. "I didn't really want to do the scene at Balmoral, telling a boy his mother has died," Dominic, 54, revealed in an interview with the Radio Times on December 4. "They invited Senan back because he did such a good job, and he was great, but I was hesitant. It was unfair of me because he did want to do it, but I wouldn’t have fancied that, to be honest."
Dominic, known for his role in The Wire, is the father of daughter Martha from a previous relationship with Polly Astor, and daughters Dora, Francis, and Christabel with his wife Catherine FitzGerald. In November 2022, he joined the show as Prince Charles in season 5, alongside his 15-year-old son Senan. For season 6, Senan was replaced by Rufus Kampa for part 1 of the Netflix series, which premiered in November. Ed McVey will take over the role for part 2, set to be released on December 14. The final season will focus on Princess Diana’s life after her divorce from Prince Charles and her death in 1997, as well as the romance between Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Showrunner Peter Morgan emphasized the series' duty to portray Princess Diana's tragic death accurately and respectfully.
"We are committed to ensuring that every aspect of the story is portrayed with authenticity, and this includes the events surrounding Diana's passing," said Morgan, 60, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in November. "Her death continues to have a significant impact, and it is essential for us to do justice to her legacy as a dramatist telling the stories of royalty."
Elizabeth Debicki, Will Powell, Senan West and Dominic West Courtesy of Netflix
Morgan expressed his hope that the family is portrayed accurately, especially since some royal family members, such as Prince Harry, have admitted to watching the Netflix series.
He added, "If they watch it, I hope they believe it to be fair and responsible because that's the approach we've aimed for."
The Crown, a Netflix anthology series that premiered in 2016, has faced criticism for its portrayal of the British royal family. Dame Judi Dench, in October 2022, criticized the depiction of the royal family in the show's fifth season.
In an October 2022 open letter to The Times, 88-year-old Dench expressed her concerns, stating, "The closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism. No one is a greater believer in artistic freedom than I, but this cannot go unchallenged."
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Dench requested that Netflix add a disclaimer to each episode clarifying that the show is fictionalized, which she feels is necessary after Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022.
Netflix has added a disclaimer to the show's official web page after her statement, stating: "Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign."
