Prince Harry was ‘aware’ his friend Orlando Bloom was voicing him in animated royal satire series
Prince Harry was ‘aware’ his friend Orlando Bloom was voicing him in controversial animated satire The Prince and ‘seemed to have a sense of humour’ about it, creator Gary Janetti claims
HBO Max has released controversial animated Royal Family satire The PrinceCreator Gary Janetti said Prince Harry was ‘aware’ Orlando Bloom was doing itAdded that Duke of Sussex ‘seemed to have a sense of humour about it’
Prince Harry ‘seemed to have a sense of humour’ about HBO Max’s animated comedy The Prince, the series creator has claimed.
Family Guy co-executive producer Gary Janetti, who created the 12-part animated series, appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and told how the Duke of Sussex, 36, took the controversial series with a pinch of salt.
During the show, Janetti was asked by a fan whether Orlando Bloom – who voices Prince Harry – had discussed his role in the series with his friend and neighbour.
‘I don’t know if Harry has said anything to Orlando about it, but I know before the show premiered, he was aware that Orlando was doing it,’ Janetti said. ‘And he seemed to have a sense of humour about it.’
Prince Harry ‘seemed to have a sense of humour’ about HBO Max’s animated comedy The Prince, the series creator has claimed. Pictured, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the controversial series
Orlando Bloom attends the amfAR Cannes Gala 2021 during the 74th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Villa Eilenroc on July 16, 2021 in Cap d’Antibes, France
Janetti (pictured) appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and was asked by a fan whether Orlando Bloom – who voices Prince Harry – had discussed his role in the series with his friend and neighbour, the Duke of Sussex
The Lord of the Rings actor’s portrayal of the Duke of Sussex came just months after the royal told Dax Shepard’s ‘Armchair Expert’ show that he’d struck up a bond with his new neighbours Orlando, 44, and singer Katy Perry, 36, who live ‘just down the road’ from the couple’s £11million mansion in Montecito, California.
The Hollywood actor revealed how the Lord of the Rings star tipped him off about a photographer and that the pair ‘keep in touch’ over text.
In the satire, Prince Harry is shown coming to terms with his post-royal life as he and Meghan arrive in an LA apartment. Looking around, he says to his wife: ‘This might be the smallest palace I have ever been in.’
Meghan corrects him: ‘Well, it’s an apartment,’ to which Harry replies: ‘Yes, an apartment palace, I know that. Lots of tiny palaces inside one big palace.’
The royal revealed how the Lord of the Rings star tipped him off about a photographer and that the pair ‘keep in touch’ over text. Pictured, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are interviewed by Oprah Winfrey
Actor Alan Cumming has defended blistering royal satire The Prince and insisted it is ‘not as mean as people think’. Cumming voices Owen, Prince George’s butler (pictured)
However, in a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Orlando Bloom said that ‘It’s not malicious or intended to be’ and went on to say how it was wife Katy Perry who urged him to accept the role.
‘Actually Katy saw one bit of it and was like, ‘You’ve got to do this. This is genius.’ And the animation is done by some of the guys who did Family Guy, so it’s going to be very amusing,’ Bloom said. ‘And who doesn’t love the royal family?’
It comes after actor Alan Cumming defended blistering royal satire The Prince and insisted it is ‘not as mean as people think’.
The series centers around a fictional version of Prince George as a child tyrant with expensive taste, a withering sense of humour and a dim view of his family.
The show has sparked a backlash over its decision to mock George, eight, and his siblings Charlotte, five, and Louis, three, as well as its depiction of the late Duke of Edinburgh.
But Cumming, 56, who voices Owen, Prince George’s butler, told the Daily Telegraph the programme is ‘actually quite tender’ and urged people to ‘watch it’ before judging.
Cumming insisted the programme is ‘actually quite tender’ and urged people to ‘watch it’ rather than have a ‘knee-jerk’ reaction. Pictured, the actor in March 2020
Asked if the Royal Family would find it funny, he said: ‘I don’t know. If they appreciate satire, they might… It’s quite tender, actually – my character with George, it’s a really lovely relationship. It’s not as mean as people think.’
The Prince – which is available to stream in the US on HBO Max but is not yet airing in the UK – co-stars Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens as the Duke of Edinburgh, Game Of Thrones’ Sophie Turner as the Duchess of Cambridge and – awkwardly given he is a friend of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – Orlando Bloom as Prince Harry.
In one episode Harry ends up in a coffee shop after his TV projects fail. The story line is a nod to real life as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have secured a $140million Netflix (£100 million) deal.
On their way to their respective jobs on a bus, Harry asks her, ‘Why are there so many people in our car? And why does it smell?’
The 12-part animated series, created by Family Guy co-executive producer Gary Janetti, centers around a fictional version of Prince George as a child tyrant with expensive taste, a withering sense of humour and a dim view of his family. Pictured, Owen and George
When he arrives he asks his stunned trainer: ‘ My favorite drink is tea. I’d love to learn to make tea but is that too advanced?’
Meanwhile Meghan returns to her former career as an actress and leads classes. She is also seen auditioning for TV shows.
In episode two, Meghan asks Harry to look after Archie, who Harry mistakenly calls ‘Arbie’ and pick up milk while she goes to an audition.
Clearly confused by how to buy milk, Harry walks down the street and asks strangers: ‘Milk?,’ before finding his way to a grocery store.
‘F*** me, the whole aisle is a refrigerator,’ he says, after being directed to the milk. He hands over a gold ring to the member of staff who helped him and says: ‘For your kindness’.
The show has sparked a backlash over its decision to mock George, eight, and his siblings Charlotte, five, and Louis, three. Pictured, Prince George and Princess Charlotte
The Duke of Edinburgh, voiced by Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens, is portrayed as drooling and vacant, and at one point collapses onto the floor while the family continues to talk around him
He proudly presents the milk to Meghan saying: ‘You don’t need to work anymore because I’ve found this! Game on America.’
His exasperated wife replies: ‘Okay, well, you don’t get paid for that but I’m super happy for you, you’re figuring things out!’
Later Meghan phones Kate and says: ‘Hi Kate, it’s Meghan, just wondering if you’ve heard from Harry?’ A bemused Kate asks: ‘Meghan?’
The Duchess of Sussex replies: ‘Meghan Markle, your sister-in-law?’ The call ends after Kate is overheard telling William ‘someone gave her our number’.
The Prince has drawn criticism from viewers over its decision to parody the young royals, with many noting George, Charlotte and Louis have not chosen their public lives. Others said it was ‘upsetting’ to see Prince Philip ridiculed just a few months after his death at the age of 99.
