The Crown Season 6 Timeline Complicated 1 Casting Change (That Should’ve Happened Later)

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for The Crown season 6, part 2!

The historical drama The Crown has recast its main actors every two seasons, but season 6’s timeline complicated the impact of one casting change. The Crown premiered in 2016, and, since it followed Queen Elizabeth II’s life from the beginning of her reign and into the 21st century, it made more sense to change the actors than use special effects and makeup to show older versions of themselves. Although that move worked well with its actors, The Crown season 6’s casting change struggled to keep up with the timeline.

The Crown changed its release pattern for the last season, dividing it into two uneven parts of episodes. The first four episodes depicted Princess Diana’s final months and the events leading to her death in 1997, allowing viewers a few weeks to take it all in before part 2 premiered on December 14. The last part featured a casting change for William and Harry, as the last six episodes also included a time jump from the first two events, all leading to The Crown‘s series finale set in 2005.

The Crown Season 6 Changed Prince William’s Actor Too Soon

Recasting the role at the start of season 6, part 2 was a mistake.

The first two episodes of The Crown season 6, part 2 take place almost immediately after the events of part 1, which was too soon to change the actor playing Prince William. The show abruptly switches from 16-year-old actor Rufus Kampa in episode 4 to 24-year-old Ed McVey in episode 5, despite the fact that the installments don’t see an immediate, significant time jump. In The Crown season 6, episode 5, “Willsmania,” Prince William is still 15 when he returns to Eton following Princess Diana’s death, the same age he was during Kampa’s appearance in the previous episode.

“Willsmania” continues with more events from 1997 and includes a ski trip with Charles and Harry from March 1998, with episode 6 featuring scenes from 1999 when Prince William was only 17. Prince William’s actor recasting confuses the timeline, although the division of the season seemed to be a good moment to change actors. The Crown previously changed its main actors in between seasons, but resorted to the change amid the two parts of season 6 for both William and 12-year-old Harry. That could’ve made sense if the timeline was appropriate, but the second part starts only a few days after the events of episode 4, “Aftermath.” Because of that, Prince William’s recasting is quite jarring.

When William’s New Actor Should Have First Appeared

The Crown season 6 part 2 includes a time jump.

The casting change makes sense in season 6, but it could’ve happened during a later episode. The Crown season 6, episode 7, “Alma Mater,” switches back to the younger actor at the beginning, as William allegedly met Kate in 1996 while he was out with Princess Diana. The perfect moment to introduce McVey would have been later in episode 7, following the flashback with Kampa. William going away to St. Andrews University would’ve been a good time to make the transition, especially with the editing showing The Crown‘s time jump from the moment he first meets Kate to their meeting again at college years later.