Charlotte Riley to Portray Kate Middleton in BBC’s King Charles III

LONDON: Peaky Blinders‘ Charlotte Riley has been cast in the role of Kate Middleton in BBC Two’s one-off drama King Charles III, adapted by playwright and television screenwriter Mike Bartlett.

The TV adaptation of Bartlett’s Olivier Award-winning play is a co-production of the BBC and Masterpiece, in association with Drama Republic. It is an imagining of Prince Charles’ accession to the throne following the Queen’s death. When he refuses to sign a controversial bill into law, political chaos ensues. King Charles III follows as he wrestles with his own identity and explores implications for him, his family and his subjects.

Joining the cast alongside Charlotte are Priyanga Burford and Tamara Lawrance. Tim Pigott-Smith returns to the title role of Charles

Filming of the 1×90-minute drama will take place in and around Leeds from November.

Bartlett said: “I couldn’t be more excited that King Charles III is now fully, brilliantly cast and about to begin shooting. We have an exceptional team, both in front of and behind the camera, and I’m looking forward to bringing this very contemporary royal tragedy to a national television audience.”

Riley added: “I’m really excited to come on board King Charles III—Mike Bartlett and Rupert Goold are two brilliant creatives. It’s such a unique project; to be both modern and rich in verse, and to play someone who is real but yet totally reimagined for this story, is an exciting prospect for an actor. Kate Middleton is a really interesting woman, particularly within the context of this play, and it is a challenge I am really looking forward to.”

Pigott-Smith said: “Performing King Charles in Mike Bartlett’s astonishing play in London and New York has been one of the high points of my career. I am thrilled that we are to film it—it is a drama about us, now, who we are, and the relevance of our monarchy. Television gives it an important democratic voice.”

Executive Producers Greg Brenman and Roanna Benn commented: “We are delighted and excited in equal measure that Mike Bartlett, one of Britain’s most gifted writers, and the visionary Rupert Goold will reunite to bring their extraordinary theater production to television. Alongside Masterpiece and the BBC we are as proud as anything to be the producers of this standout event.”