Prince Harry has vowed to put a stop to The Crown before it reaches his own life. The Netflix biographical drama recounts the personal history and rule of Queen Elizabeth II, the third season of which dropped in November and the fourth is already in production.
Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, apparently in talks with Netflix themselves, have been endlessly discussed over the last couple of weeks following the announcement that they would be abandoning royal life and stepping down from its associated duties. After Harry’s first public appearance since the announcement, where he gave a speech at a dinner for his charity Sentebale, he spoke to royal biographer Angela Levin, who afterwards revealed that of The Crown he stated to her that “I’m going to make sure I stop it before they get to me.”
Look, I have absolutely no respect for the notion of royalty and resent that us unwashed plebs are supposed to afford them deference and admiration because they were born into a life of unimaginable privilege and centuries of inherited wealth, but even I can sympathize with Harry’s situation. Upon seeing his wife being subjected to the same kind of scrutiny, snide ridicule and invasion of privacy that were major contributing factors in the death of his mother, you really can’t blame him for wanting to leave that life behind to protect her from it. Should he be featured in The Crown, it follows that it would also eventually include Meghan, which would likely result in a fresh barrage of precisely the kind of media interest the couple are hoping to avoid in the future, whereas blocking his own appearance would by extension also prevent Meghan from featuring.
It’s unclear whether or not Harry actually has the power to make good on his promise, though. When The Crown was first in production, the arrangement to adapt the life of the royal household could have been made as a blanket deal that included the family’s principal members, meaning his inclusion may have been previously agreed upon and whether or not he was okay with it was a moot point. However, by the time the saga does get around to incorporating him, he’ll have long been a private citizen, which may complicate using him as a character should he not wish to be one.