A royal unveiling!
On April 27, Netflix released the first official photos of The Crown newcomers Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy in character as Prince William and Kate Middleton from the upcoming sixth season. The new installment is set in the late '90s and early '00s and in later episodes, depicts the couple's love story.
One of the photos released April 27 features Meg, 19, and Ed, 23, in the character as the future Prince and Princess of Wales walking hand in hand, while other photos are solo shots of each character. In addition, the Netflix series also shared a behind the scenes photo of the duo while filming in Scotland.
"As The Crown enters a new decade, Prince William starts at University in St Andrew's, determined to lead as normal a life as possible while he still can," Netflix shared in an official season six synopsis. "Also beginning life as a University student, is Kate Middleton from Berkshire. As the pair meet for the first time on campus, a new romance and a new future for The Crown begins."
This official look at the newcomers comes a month after Ed and Meg were photographed filming scenes at University of St Andrews in Edinburgh, where William and Kate met as freshman in 2001.
William and Kate first started out as friends but according to Vogue, sparks few in their second semester after the prince watched his now-wife walk the runway of a charity fashion show in a sheer dress over lingerie. The following school year, romance finally bloomed between the two after they moved into an apartment together with two housemates. (William and Kate—who share kids Prince George, 9, Prince Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 5—tied the knot in 2011, a decade after they first met.)
In the sixth season of The Crown, Elizabeth Debicki returns to play William's mom, the late Princess Diana, while Dominic West reprises his role as his dad and her ex-husband, Prince Charles (now King Charles III), and Imelda Staunton will again play Queen Elizabeth II. This is the first season of the series to be filmed following the real monarch's death last September.
Season six of The Crown is set to premiere on Netflix later this year.
See photos of Ed and Meg as William and Kate below:
Kate Middleton's Introduction
Season six part two recreates the first moment Kate Middleton caught Prince William's eye, while modeling a sheer dress during a 2002 fashion event in college.
Sparks Fly
The Dec. 14 episodes depict Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy) falling in love with Prince William (Ed McVey).
Brotherly Bond
William and Prince Harry (Luther Ford) share a laugh in a sneak peek.
Royal Family
Charles (Dominic West) poses with his sons during a skiing trip.
Wedding Bells
The show also recreates King Charles III's wedding to Queen Camilla on April 9, 2005.
Royal Duties
William appears to be stepping into his role as he comes of age.
Long Live the Queen
Netflix released a look at Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) waving to her people in the last episodes.
The Princes in Scotland
Part one of The Crown's final season features Rufus Kampa (as Prince William) and Fflyn Edwards (as Prince Harry) on a trip to Scotland.
Diana & Her Boys
“I think it's a really unique challenge as an actor, to portray those days," Elizabeth Debicki (who portrays Princess Diana in the final season) previously told TUDUM, adding that she trusted in creator Peter Morgan's "emotional blueprint that he created for us to follow. It's his interpretation and I think it made emotional sense to me, so I clung to that. Because, obviously, it's devastating and it's fraught and we can never know.”
Diana & Dodi's Romance
Part one of the final season shares a glimpse into Diana's relationship with Dodi Fayed, portrayed by actor Khalid Abdalla.
In part two of the final season, actor Ed McVey portrays Prince William.
The Future Prince and Princess of Wales
The two walk hand-in-hand in an official season six pic.
The actress appears in an official photo for The Crown season six.
Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy take a break from filming The Crown season six, in which they play William and Kate.
As a reminder, The Crown depicted William and his brother Prince Harry as kids (played by Will Powell and Senan West) on season 5. For season six, Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West⋅will reprise their roles of Princess Diana and Prince Charles (now King Charles III).