The royal family has never been too fond of The Crown, despite flattering casting decisions. But it sounds like they’re about to get downright furious when the Netflix hit delves into this inneresting storyline involving Prince Philip.
It is no secret the raison d’être of the popular series is to revisit all those scandalous moments the monarchy wants us all to forget, and it looks like the upcoming fifth season will prove no different! According to The Sun, the show plans to highlight the close relationship between the late prince and the aristocratic beauty Penelope Knatchbull in the 1990s.
Related: How Sarah Ferguson Responded To Being Iced Out Of William & Kate’s Royal Wedding
In case you didn’t know, the Countess Mountbatten of Burma became close friends with the royals after marrying Norton Knatchbull in 1979. Even though Philip was 32 years Penny’s senior, the two were reportedly super close — especially after her 5-year-old daughter Leonora passed away from kidney cancer. A source explained to The Sun:
“This is a relationship which naturally raised a few eyebrows and sparked quite a few whispers, but Philip and Penny maintained they were just friends.”
Hmmm… They maintained. But this is historical fiction. So something tells us the show will make up its own mind.
The streaming series has already portrayed the Duke of Edinburgh as a bit of a ladies man, so you can only imagine how the writers plan to recreate this cozy friendship! We’ve known for a while that Game Of Thrones alum Jonathan Pryce will play Prince Philip in this time period — but it turns out Natascha McElhone (Californication) has been tapped to portray Knatchbull. They don’t get that kind of talent to not use it.
An inside source told The Sun that the creators found their relationship was important enough to be included, saying:
“The makers of The Crown believe it is a relationship worthy of exploring and casting a veteran actor like Natascha is a reflection of how high profile the role is.”
But the inclusion doesn’t come without a price! As the source says the plot line is likely to “infuriate” the palace since it is coming on the heels of Prince Philip’s sudden death:
“[T]he highly personal relationship is unlikely to be welcomed as a storyline by Her Majesty or the rest of the Royal Family.”
The family members understandably may have some reservations about how The Crown plans to depict the patriarch when they’re still in the process of grieving his loss.
Kate Middleton and Prince William specifically have had a “difficult time” since his death. On Tuesday, Gert’s Royal Replies shared a note they received from the Cambridges in response to a condolence message they sent in light of their loss. In the letter, the couple opened up about mourning Philip, expressing:
“The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge thank you for your kind words following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh. Their Royal Highnesses have been incredibly moved by the many thoughtful messages they have received in recent weeks. They will all miss their much loved grandfather and great-grandfather, but your message has provided great comfort at this difficult time.”
Take a look at the card (below):
The Condolence reply from the Cambridges following the death of Prince Philip.
"They will all miss their much loved grandfather and great-grandfather, but your message has provided great comfort at this difficult time." https://t.co/lWY84jueTG pic.twitter.com/0qFNL4EbHD
— Gert's Royal Replies (@GertsReplies) August 18, 2021
We will have to wait and see how The Crown plans to play out this plot! What do you think about this storyline, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the commets (below).
[Image via John Rainford/WENN, FayesVision/WENN, Adriana M. Barraza/WENN]
The post <i>The Crown</i> Is About To 'Infuriate' The Royals With This Prince Philip Storyline! appeared first on Perez Hilton.
