With the final installment of Netflix’s The Crown out on December 14, fans of the royal family can once again immerse themselves in the drama of British royalty. Even better, this season is much closer to modern-day drama viewers might know about already. The series began when the late Queen Elizabeth was in her mid-twenties, but season six focuses on her reign during the 1990s and early 2000s.
This era includes the death of Princess Diana, followed by Prince William growing up from a boy to a man. Aiding him in that process is his wife Kate Middleton, though the fictionalized version of her first appears as a very young lady. Kate met William at St. Andrews University, and to find the right actress for the role, The Crown cast a wide search.
They found then-19-year-old, now 21-year-old Meg Bellamy, an actress who has some surprising connections to the real Kate even before she was playing her in a TV show. Here’s everything to know about Bellamy for fans of the Netflix series.
Who is Meg Bellamy?
Bellamy grew up in Wokingham, Berkshire, which is very close to Bucklebury, Berkshire, where Kate was born and raised. She attended St. Crispin’s School, and was interested in performing from a very young age. She even starred in the school play Matilda as Miss Trunchbull in a stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel.
A teacher from her school days told the Sunday Mirror that Bellamy is not unlike the Princess of Wales.
“Meg is similar and ridiculously humble, she was very popular, the type of student you had to encourage to come forward,” said the teacher. “What’s amazing is that she took the initiative to do a self tape for The Crown.”
Bellamy also once performed in a production of Hamilton, where the late Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, the Duke of Kent, was in attendance. She played the part of one of the Schuyler Sisters, at a gala held by public school Wellington College.
How did Bellamy get cast as Kate?
Bellamy saw that there was an open call for the role, according to The Telegraph, and won the part just a few weeks after leaving school. She announced the big moment on Instagram, writing, “Pinch me please..So excited to announce that I will be playing Kate Middleton in Series 6 of Netflix’s The Crown. It is such an honour to be joining the most incredible cast and crew, and I will strive to do Kate justice.”
She wrote another message after the accolades rolled in, saying, “Thank you so much everyone, for your kind messages of support and encouragement. I appreciate every single one. These past few days have been a whirlwind, and I am just so excited and grateful to be beginning this dream of a journey. 💗”
What else does Bellamy do?
Since her life has been filled with filming practically since she left secondary school, Bellamy doesn’t have a long resume yet. She did apparently work as a Legoland performer, and she told Wonderland that she’s passionate about “wellness.”
“Wellness has become increasingly important to me in recent years,” she said. “I think there’s been a real surge of interest in the wellness world, and now more than ever I love to geek out about nutrition.”
She also gets excited about fashion based on recent posts where brands like Dior and Cartier are dressing up this budding super star.
Bellamy spoke to British Vogue in early December about getting to wear clothing from such fanous fashion houses. “My relationship with fashion has developed quickly in the past 12 months,” she admitted. “But more from an access point of view. You have to remember that, before all of this, I wore a school uniform, and I could only afford high-street brands like Primark!”
What does Bellamy think of Kate possibly watching her performance?
She isn’t sure she would watch if she was Kate. When asked if she thought the Princess of Wales would be tuning in, she told British Vogue, “I don’t know! I don’t know if I would watch a series about my own life. I would just see it through such a different lens. The cast have all been so welcoming and supportive about this new journey for me, though. And I think the most common piece of advice I’ve received is: ‘Have a good support group around you’.”
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.