The love story of the 21st century between Prince William and Princess Kate has bloomed over the background of dramatic cliffs and the most famous golf course in the world. The last episodes of The Crown shed light on the beginning of this royal affair at the University of St Andrews.
Netflix shot mid-March 2023 in the small Scottish town. Students were involved in many supporting roles, from assistant producers to extras. “Considering the number of people involved, half of our town was an extra.” Adam, BSc Medicine 2024 graduate took part in four out of seven days of filming. While reminiscing about the long hours on set, he says “I only had my dissertation left, so my schedule was extremely flexible.” His favourite scene was the one in the pub “It was grand. Ed McVey (the actor who plays Will) had to look dazed and confused. All around the extras were running around in excitement. We reshot that scene so many times that half of us was tipsy by the end of the day.” It is a moral obligation to drink in a Scottish pub, even if working for Netflix.
The production took full control of the town: most streets were closed for the whole week, and they even paid some students to use their homes for filming. “Nobody was bothered by the restrictions. We were all so excited to be part of something that big,” says Shane, Hope Street resident where the royal couple lived in their second year. Episode 9 ends with Will and Kate moving into their new house: “I spent the whole day on my porch: a beer crate was all I needed to enjoy the filming.”
The highlight of the series is certainly DONT WALK, the infamous charity fashion show where Will dropped his jaw for an audacious Kate in lingerie. “Seeing our brand everywhere on TV and magazines, like VOGUE and Marie Claire, is insane,” says Henry former model and now creative director of the show: “As soon as the episodes were released, I jumped straight to the catwalk.” Having worked also as assistant producer on the show, Henry was aware that Netflix never contacted DONT WALK organisers; nonetheless, he was pleasantly surprised to find out the essence of their work was exalted in the series.
Princess Kate didn’t only stun in lingerie, she also rocked a baby costume during freshmen initiation. “It’s a foam fight in university main quad. We were hundreds of kids, it was too much fun. I was so focused that I covered Meg Bellamy (the actress who plays Kate) in foam. Poor girl she was all teary and spitting it out for ages,” says Lily, 2024 Geography graduate. She tries to justify herself: “It wasn’t my fault. She just didn’t’ look that much like Kate.” Adam’s only memory of filming this scene is the cold: “As soon as we were done shooting, the crew would come with blankets and hot chocolate.”
Students were truly willing to do everything: their enthusiasm was so contagious that both cast and crew loved their experience. Ramsay, current IR student, used to pub crawl with the actors and claims they exchanged friendly texts. When asked about this series finale, he can only say “I wish there was one whole season on their love story. There is so much left to show of OUR town.”
“Our,” every student uses this word when referring to their beloved town. It’s a celebration of a sense of belonging that is unique to St Andrews, nonetheless it does have the highest student satisfaction rate in the country. “It’s a bubble where students from all over the world come together in the spirit of learning. In the background, Scottish natural beauties foster creativity,” says Elise, now a PhD candidate at Cambridge but always nostalgic of her alma mater.
The essence of St Andrews is overwhelmingly part of its legacy. As Henry notices: “When asked about the best thing about The Crown, Ed McVey said ‘St. Andrews.’ This is us.”
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