'Spare' and 'The Crown': Actor Dominic West Says Controversial Tell-All 'Affected' the Way He Approached a Prince Harry Scene in Netflix Drama
Dominic West says he was influenced by Prince Harry's memoir, 'Spare,' in a key scene.
Dominic West, who plays the then-Prince Charles in seasons five and six of Netflix's The Crown, shared how he was inspired by Prince Harry's memoir, Spare.
"I bought it immediately, and I think it did slightly affect the way we played that key scene where he wakes Harry up," the British actor told an outlet.
"I took advantage of the huge research department of The Crown," They sent me lots of videos, [and] lots of interviews. I mean, it's the thing about him: There's so much on him, and every single moment of his life has been scrutinized and recorded, so there's a lot to go on," West added when discussing how he approached the challenge of playing Prince Charles.
He continued: "He has a farm estate that he rescued in Cornwall... and you can rent cottages there. I went there for a week, just to sort of carry on my reading and research and walk around and think about him and be in a place [imbued] by his personality. I went to Highgrove [Charles' private residence] as well and joined a garden tour there. So I really enjoyed the travel aspects and going to the places where he's had an effect."
In his memoir, the Duke of Sussex criticized the monarch for failing to show proper compassion after the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
"Pa didn't hug me. He wasn't great at showing emotions under normal circumstances. But his hand did fall once more on my knee, and he said, 'It's going to be okay,'" Prince Harry wrote in his memoir.
The book also took aim at Queen Camilla, which is said to have "deeply hurt" His Majesty when he read the "hurtful" things written about the love of his life.
One of the Queen's friends told an outlet, "How does she get past that? It’s one thing to call your stepmother a b---- privately or in a family argument. But to put it in a book that is catching up with the Bible on sales?"
The consort's confidante continued, "I think Harry knew exactly what he was doing, and the result is predictable. Charles loves Camilla. He made her queen. He doesn’t react very well to criticism of her."
As The Royal Observer previously reported, the Queen refuses to forgive her stepson for what he wrote about her in his autobiography. The Duke of Sussex claimed that she was "dangerous" and was perfectly happy to sacrifice others and "leave bodies in the street" in her quest to win over the public's admiration. The Queen faced years and years of ridicule and toxic press coverage when Diana, Princess of Wales, called her out in the mid-1990s as the primary cause of her and the then-Prince Charles' split.
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Variety interviewed West.
