The Crown Won't Tackle Prince Charles' Infamous Leaked Conversation With Camilla Parker-Bowles

The Crown's Prince Charles, Josh O'Connor, says fans won't see a scandal play out on screen.

By Chris Harnick May 12, 2020 6:59 PMTags
Watch: "The Crown" Season 4 Will Tell the Story of Princess Diana

The Crown, Netflix's drama about Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family, has touched on a variety of topics and scandals from the last several decades, but there's one moment viewers won't see in the upcoming season four: Prince Charles' infamous leaked call with then-mistress Camilla Parker Bowles.

In an interview with SiriusXM's EW LiveThe Crown's Prince Charles, Josh O'Connor, revealed he made sure the conversation, which has been referred to as Camillagate or Tampongate, would not be part of the Netflix series from Peter Morgan.

"When they offered me the role, one of my first questions was — I say questions, I think it was pretty much a statement — ‘We are not doing the tampon phone call,'" O'Connor said.

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What to Expect From The Crown Season 4

O'Connor explained that before The Crown he did indie film projects and TV shows where he played "slightly dodgy characters." "And this was my one chance for my parents to see something with no shame and there's no way I was going to scuttle that by talking about tampons on Netflix," he said.

The Crown will end with season five starring Imelda Staunton, the third actress to play Queen Elizabeth, taking over the role from Olivia Colman who inherited it from Claire Foy.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to confirm Imelda Staunton as Her Majesty The Queen for the fifth and final season, taking The Crown into the 21st Century. Imelda is an astonishing talent and will be a fantastic successor to Claire Foy and Olivia Colman," Peter Morgan, creator, writer and executive producer said in a statement. "At the outset I had imagined The Crown running for six seasons but now that we have begun work on the stories for season five it has become clear to me that this is the perfect time and place to stop. I'm grateful to Netflix and Sony for supporting me in this decision."

The Crown won't be touching on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. According to the BBC, The Crown executive producer Suzanne Mackie told PA that the most recent late 2019 and 2020 royal headlines are safe from getting dramatized.

"To be honest, whatever the life of The Crown is after where we are now, I doubt we'll ever go as far into the present day," Mackie said.

The Crown seasons one-three are now streaming on Netflix. Season four will likely drop in late 2020 if the release schedule for past seasons are any indication.