Clown Prince!
Stealing the show at premiere, ten-year-old star who plays a young Charles in The Crown
HE was competing against some of British television’s acting royalty.
But that wasn’t a problem for ten-yearold Billy Jenkins, who stole the show at last night’s premiere of The Crown.
The budding actor, who plays Prince Charles in the Netflix drama, put his thumbs up at the cameras and later cuddled up to a group of Corgis.
Billy, who was picked to play the part of a young Charles in the £100million series, was last night heard recording a video on the red carpet in London’s Leicester Square – thought to be for Netflix itself – in which he said he had been invited because he was ‘one of the stars’.
But although he appeared to be an old hand in front of the world’s media, he did need the help of a stool for one interview so he would not be dwarfed by the crowd. He was also due to interview key cast members of the hit drama series. Billy stars alongside twins Amelia and Grace Gilmour, who share the part of a young Princess Anne.
The child stars featured in series one, but are thought to have bigger roles to play in the upcoming second series.
The children are seen ‘cracking open the playful side of their father Prince Philip ... and underscoring the sacrifices made by their mother’, according to Radio Times.
Later in the series, two older children will take on the roles of the Queen and Prince Philip’s eldest children. Also at the premiere last night was Claire Foy, who plays the Queen in the series. She dazzled in a floor-length sequin dress. Miss Foy, 33, posed for pictures alongside her co-star Matt Smith, 35, who plays Prince Philip.
Vanessa Kirby, who plays Princess Margaret, followed Miss Foy’s lead and walked the red carpet in a sequin minidress. Speaking at the premiere Miss Kirby, 29, said series two is ‘raunchier’ than the previous one.
The second series – which is released by Netflix on 8 December – is expected to cover the Queen and Prince Philip’s continued struggles, including the Duke’s rumoured infidelity, and Princess Margaret’s marriage to Lord Snowdon.