The Crown’s Dominic West reveals heartbreaking reason he stopped his son reprising Prince William role

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Dominic West has revealed that he blocked his son, Senan West, from returning to the role of young Prince William in season six of The Crown because he was uncomfortable with the gravity of the storyline. However, for the first part of season six – which deals in part with the death of William’s mother, Princess Diana – the role of Prince William was filled by Rufus Kampa. “It was unfair of me because he did want to do it, but I wouldn’t have fancied that, to be honest.” For the second part of the season, due to be released on 14 December, the role of William will pass to an older actor, Ed McVey, as the story shifts focus to the budding relationship between William and Kate Middleton. “There was a very, very careful, long, long, long conversation about how we do it – and I hope, you know, the audience will judge it in the end, but I think it’s been delicately, thoughtfully recreated.” Long a figure of frenzied interest to Britain’s tabloid media for her beauty and the acrimonious nature of her divorce from the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, Diana was just 36 when she, her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and their chauffeur Henri Paul were killed when their Mercedes-Benz, pursued by paparazzi, crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in the French capital 26 years ago.