The Crown’s Josh O’Connor says Prince Charles ‘has no purpose’ until he becomes king

Actor Josh O’Connor, who stars as the Prince of Wales in The Crown, has expressed his belief that the heir apparent “has no purpose” until he becomes king.

O’Connor made his first appearance as Prince Charles in the third season of The Crown, which was released on Netflix in November 2019.

The 30-year-old is set to reprise his role as the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in the fourth season, which is due to air later this year.

Speaking to Esquire UK, O’Connor described how he views Prince Charles’ position within the royal family.

“The question of having to wait for your mum to die in order for your life to have meaning, and what that means for a young man. It’s just bizarre,” he said.

“Charles doesn’t necessarily want power, but until she dies, what the hell is he doing? What is his existence? He has no purpose.”

In one scene in the third season of The Crown, the character of Prince Charles shares a similar sentiment with Camilla Shand, played by Emerald Fennell.

He tells his future wife that his life is “not so much an existence as a predicament”, stating in the script: “Until she dies I cannot be fully alive.”

During his interview with Esquire, O’Connor also spoke about how “useful” it is not knowing much about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when he is asked questions about the couple.

“It’s quite useful, because if anyone tries to trick you into saying anything about the real royal family, I can’t, because I don’t know anything,” the Gods Own Country actor said.

“When we went over to the Golden Globes, people were asking about Harry and Meghan and I had to say, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Because I really don’t.”

On Tuesday 11 August, an unofficial biography on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, titled Finding Freedom and written by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, was published.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes has emphasised the couple had no involvement in the writing of the book, as it documents the authors’ personal experiences as royal reporters working in close proximity to Meghan and Prince Harry.

In the book, the authors state that Prince Charles has a sentimental memento from Meghan and Prince Harry’s wedding that he keeps in Clarence House.

The Prince of Wales has a black-and-white photograph on display, which shows him walking his daughter-in-law down the aisle, the authors claim.

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