In season six, episode seven of “The Crown” titled “Alma Mater,” the storyline takes the audience to St. Andrews, introducing a young Kate Middleton. The episode delves into the intricacies of how her mother’s strategic actions might have orchestrated her fateful meeting with Prince William.
Enter the royal family, Kate Middleton. In the seventh episode of The Crown’s ultimate season, titled “Alma Mater,” we are formally introduced to the woman destined to capture Prince William’s heart—with a notable assist from her resourceful mother, Carole Middleton.
The Crown”: “The Encounter of William and Kate”
In the discussion below, Still Watching hosts Hillary Busis, Richard Lawson, and Chris Murphy cover the details of William, Kate, and Carole. Additionally, Murphy engages in a conversation with Ed McVey about the transformative experience of landing the role of Prince William.
Finally, The Crown unveils the blossoming romance between Kate and William in this episode. Their camaraderie took root during their time at St. Andrews in the early 2000s. However, The Crown suggests that a significant third party played a pivotal role in orchestrating the couple’s courtship: Carole Middleton, Kate’s mother and a party-supply business entrepreneur, portrayed by Eve Best. “I found it delightful how closely they portrayed the strategic aspect of Kate’s courtship with William,” remarks Lawson.
Business emphasized the initial encounter between the couple, a chilly but charming meet-cute depicted in the cold open, featuring a brief appearance by Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana when the two were teenagers. As the episode unfolds, it becomes evident that Carole played a significant role in shaping Kate’s choices, persuading her to take the same gap year trips as Prince William, opt for the less prestigious St.
Andrews over the University of Edinburgh, and break up with her college boyfriend to pursue a relationship with the future King of England. Busis notes, “It’s like a conspiracy theory, but the show is confirming that this is precisely what happened. [Carole] decided, when her daughter was a teenager, [that she was] going to meet William and make him fall in love with her.”
Murphy, expressing a sense of missing Eve Best’s portrayal of Carole when she wasn’t onscreen, draws a parallel between the meddling actions of Middleton’s mother and Salim Dau’s helicopter parent, Mohamed Al-Fayed. Murphy remarks, “We spent so much of the first three or four episodes discussing Mohamed Al-Fayed and his intricate plan to bring Dodi and Diana together. But he doesn’t compare to Carole. She made it happen.”
While Carole ultimately succeeded in her mission to encourage Kate to choose the hero over the zero, the journey was not without its awkward moments—especially during a library interaction involving Kate, William, and Lola Ardell Cavendish Kincaid, a character representing several of William’s pre-Kate romantic interests. Busis adds, “If you’re curious about William’s real-life girlfriends, you can explore their stories in Vanity Fair,” giving a nod to a December 2010 article titled “Wills and the Real Girl” by occasional Still Watching guest and Vanity Fair royal correspondent, Katie Nicholl.
McVey, the actor portraying the fictional college-age Prince William on The Crown, joined the podcast to discuss his experience embodying the heir to the throne. Surprisingly, McVey never believed he bore a strong resemblance to Prince William before taking on the role in The Crown. He shares, “I only get it at certain times now. Even when I got cast, people were like, ‘Oh, yeah? I kind of see it. But they’ll do your hair and everything, right?'”
READ ALSO: ‘The Crown’ Concludes with an Anticlimactic Ending: TV Review
FAQs
Did Kate ever have the chance to meet Diana?
“I never, unfortunately, had the opportunity to meet her,” Kate added, contemplating how Diana would have been a fantastic grandmother to her and William’s three children.
Was Kate’s mom responsible for arranging her connection with William?
Although the extent of Carole Middleton’s influence on the relationship between Kate and William remains unknown, she might have paved the way for her daughter to become the future Queen of England. A contemporary Mrs Bennet, indeed.
Who is Lola in “The Crown”?
Lola Airedale-Cavendish-Kincaid is a fictional character, but her role is thought to be loosely inspired by one of William’s ex-girlfriends, Carly Massy-Birch, according to Vanity Fair. She was a fellow student with William at St. Andrews, pursuing studies in English and creative writing.
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