Katy Perry consoles contestant after she gets upset during apology
Orlando Bloom took on the role of Prince Harry in HBO Max’s The Prince, a satire by Family Guy writer Gary Janetti, which focused primarily on the life of nine-year-old Prince George.
The English actor claimed it was a prompt from his fiancé Katy Perry — who will perform at King Charles III’s Coronation concert on Sunday — that convinced him to portray the Prince, admitting he had doubts about the part at first.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in August 2020, Bloom said: “Initially, I was like: ‘Hmm, how do I feel about this,’ because I’m a British boy who’s very proud of my roots.
“I understand how the Royal Family is loved by some and loathed by others, and I’ve always understood it as part of my heritage and background.”
He added: “Actually, Katy saw one bit of it and was like: ‘You’ve got to do this. This is genius.’”
READ MORE: Harry felt ‘displaced’ after Charlotte’s birth as William bond cracked
Orlando Bloom and his fiancé Katy Perry (Image: Getty)
While the show follows the life of Prince George, several other members of the Royal Family are also depicted. His parents Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, and siblings, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, King Charles III, Queen Camilla and the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, all made appearances in the series.
In the show, George had a tendency to make things difficult for his family and the monarchy.
One episode sees the Prince gossiping about his uncle Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who are struggling to make it on their own in the US. And in another, George attempts to weasel his way into a cameo on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, of which Meghan had become a cast member.
The series was originally expected to air in Spring 2021 but was delayed — following the death of Prince Philip in April — until July of that year.
12 episodes of The Prince were released on HBO Max but, in February 2022, the streaming platform cancelled the series after one season.
The Prince aired on HBO Max in July 2021 (Image: HBO Max)
All Prince Harry’s seven Coronation ‘demands’ – from Archie’s birthday to balcony moment
After weeks of speculation, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, finally confirmed last week that he would be attending King Charles’s Coronation.
However, it has been reported that he made a number of demands to his father if the new monarch wanted both him and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in attendance – and only three of them have been met so far.
Here, Express.co.uk breaks down the seven ‘demands’ Harry made.
The show sparked a debate among commentators, with some deeming it unfair and inappropriate but others admitting they could see the funny side.
At the time of its debut in the US, GMB hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Alex Beresford spoke with Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu and comedian Leo Kearse.
Dr Shola argued: “Children are off-limits. Here we are in society, telling children not to be bullies, telling children to be careful about how they speak to each other, to not make up stories and then as adults, we do what we tell children not to do and say: ‘It’s ok because it’s for comedy.’”
However, Mr Kearse disagreed, responding: “His parents if they want him to have no media presence, they can be hardly calling for privacy and for people to not make fun of him.”
Meanwhile, royal commentator Russell Myers hit out at the show, saying it “crossed a line” and was not even “that funny”.
Appearing on ITV’s Lorraine at the time, he said: “Whether children should be off limits is a big debate and I mean one thing I don’t personally think it’s that funny… I think when you’re looking at children, when you’re taking the mickey out of them…it does cross a line. I think it’s up for debate about whether it is funny at all.”
The show focused on nine-year-old Prince George (Image: Getty)
“I think they’ve gone down the wrong track on this one,” he added.
Writer and the voice actor who plays George, Gary Janetti, responded to criticism at the time, saying: “I do what I think is funny, and it’s never meant to be anything other than to give, like, a laugh and be silly and funny. It is never meant to be anything that’s mean. It’s all about George’s insane take on the world and his wanting to be a star.”
Mr Myers also noted Bloom’s role in the show, describing it as “one of the big controversies”.
“He’s actually friends with Prince Harry,” the commentator said. “He’s actually beforehand said: ‘Look, there’s no malicious intent on this.’”
The actor and his fiancé became neighbours with Harry and Meghan when they moved into a $14.2million (£11.3million) mansion in Montecito, California, in 2021.
The Sussexes live in Montecito, California (Image: Express.co.uk)
Bloom said he didn’t know Harry when he signed on to the project but later met him.
“This guy is so nice, and I think he’s got a great sense of humour,” he said. “I hope he maintains that through this because they’re sort of on a pedestal. We’re showing real adoration to them in one form or another. I try to justify it, because quite frankly, if I’m honest, it’s not like me to poke fun at anyone but it is done with affection.”
He added: “It’s not malicious or intended to be. He’s really got his finger on the pulse, Gary [Janetti]. He’s so smart and so zeitgeisty.”
During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in August 2021, Janetti was asked whether Bloom had discussed his involvement in the show with Harry.
Gary Janetti wrote the controversial show and voiced Prince George (Image: Getty)
He said: “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 and he seemed to have a sense of humour about it.”
Although details of Bloom and Perry’s neighbourly friendship with the Sussexes remain unknown, Harry has given some insight into his relationship with the actor.
During an episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast in May 2021, he said the actor had previously sent him text messages to warn him of paparazzi in their neighbourhood.
Now, almost two years later, Perry is set to have further brushes with royalty on the other side of the pond.
The American pop singer is among the musical stars who will perform at King Charles III’s Coronation concert on Sunday.
Katy Perry will perform at the Coronation Concert on Sunday (Image: Getty)
The line-up includes British boyband Take That, world-renowned Lionel Richie and Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli.
Bloom expressed his pride over his fiancé’s upcoming performance, gushing over her achievement. He told ET Online: “My girl’s gonna be singing, that’s fun. I’m not going to make it there, sadly, but she’s representing which is cool. She does those big, historical things. It’s wonderful. She sang for the president too. She does that.”
The actor joked: “Who’s left? Maybe the pope. So yeah, it’s exciting.”
While Perry’s performance was a surprise to her fans, her links with King Charles III date back a few years — to when she was appointed as an ambassador of the British Asian Trust, which was founded in 2007 by the monarch.
Perry has promised to give fans “what they deserve” at the concert, revealing she will bring “light and love” to her set.