'The Crown' Depicts Royal School Photo Call Criticized by Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle's broadside against royal school photo calls came months before The Crown depicted press coverage of Prince William starting at Eton.

The Duchess of Sussex told The Cut how if her son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor was at school in Britain she would not be able to do pick-up and drop-off without it becoming a royal photo call with 40 photographers.

She told the magazine: "Sorry, I have a problem with that. That doesn't make me obsessed with privacy. That makes me a strong and good parent protecting my child."

Three months later, Season Five of The Crown has dropped on Netflix and contains a scene in which Prince William is depicted beginning his career as a boarder at Eton College.

Flash bulbs can be seen firing as he poses for pictures alongside Prince Harry, Prince William, father Charles, then prince but now king, and mother Princess Diana.

William—played in the show by Senan West, real life son of Dominic West, who plays Charles—is then seen being photographed signing the Eton College Entrance Book, just as he did in real life.

Not only is the scene in The Crown a very close depiction of what really happened but the tradition of the royal school photo call survives to this day, though it may not happen quite as often as Meghan suggested to The Cut.

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis' Modern School Photo Call

Modern royal children traditionally pose for a photo to mark their first day at school and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were seen doing exactly that as recently as September.

It was a first day for all three after William and Kate Middleton relocated from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage, in Windsor.

George and Charlotte previously attended Thomas' Battersea, in South London, and the trio now go to Lambrook School as day pupils.

William's children are unlikely to ever be depicted in The Crown due to creator Peter Morgan's rule that he does not cover events more recent than 20 years.

Kate Middleton will, however, feature in Season 6 after actress Meg Bellamy was cast to play the role.

Prince William at Eton College

William was sent to Eton College after Charles famously did not enjoy his time at Gordonstoun, in Scotland, the boarding school where Prince Philip had finally found structure and routine as a child after a nomadic and unsettled childhood.

Biography The King quotes a letter the Queen Mother sent to Queen Elizabeth II suggesting Eton would have been a better school for Charles: "I suppose he will be taking his entrance exam for Eton soon.

"I do hope he passes because it might be the ideal school for one of his character and temperament. All your friends' sons are at Eton," she continued, "and it is so important to be able to grow up with people you will be with later in life.

"And so nice and so important when boys are growing up that you and Philip can see him during school days and keep in touch with what is happening. He would be terribly cut off and lonely in the far north."