It has been more than two decades since Kate Middleton first caught the eye of Prince William as she strutted down a catwalk in a sheer dress and black underwear in a charity fashion show at university.
But part two of the final series of The Crown is set to bring the key moment in the blossoming relationship between the now-Prince and Princess of Wales onto our screens.
Photos have been released of Meg Bellamy, the 21-year-old actress from Wokingham who was plucked from obscurity to play Kate, recreating the royal&#8217;s iconic look as she took centre state at St Andrew&#8217;s Bay Hotel in 2002.
The first-look images show Meg wearing a recreation of the Charlotte Todd-designed strapless dress with turquoise trim for the scene, with her hair in the same soft ringlet waves.
Posting the photos on X, formerly Twitter, the Netflix account teased the &#8216;first look at the epic conclusion&#8217; of the royal drama &#8211; while Meg herself posted the catwalk snaps on her Instagram account and wrote: &#8216;It&#8217;s nearly timeeee&#8230;&#8217;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/78328673-12800267-In_first_look_photos_released_by_Netflix_21_year_old_Meg_Bellamy-m-34_1701187913029.jpg" width="634" height="546" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
In first look photos released by Netflix, 21-year-old Meg Bellamy recreates Kate Middleton&#8217;s catwalk appearance that first turned Prince William&#8217;s head
William is thought to have paid £200 for a ticket to sit on the front row of the show with friends and is rumoured to have turned to one of them and said: ‘Wow, Kate’s hot.’
It is said to be the turning point in the couple&#8217;s relationship, as they eventually went from close friends to developing romantic feelings for each other.
The dress in question went on to sell for a staggering £78,000 at auction following the catwalk show and became one of Kate’s best-known fashion moments.
The pair were studying at St Andrew’s University at the time and met the previous year, although Kate’s catwalk appearance is thought to have been the catalyst for romance.
Kate was working towards an art history degree, while William, who initially enrolled for history of art, had switched to geography.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/15/78327941-12800267-Kate_Middleton_then_20_first_caught_Prince_William_s_eye_in_a_ro-m-2_1701184130555.jpg" width="634" height="1913" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
Kate Middleton, then 20, first caught Prince William&#8217;s eye in a romantic sense when she strutted the catwalk in a sheer dress and black underwear
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/15/78328671-12800267-image-a-4_1701185166393.jpg" width="634" height="317" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
The second part of the final instalment of the series tells the love story of the Prince and Princess of Wales at university
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/15/78328665-12800267-image-a-5_1701185208925.jpg" width="634" height="317" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
Ed McVey, who plays Prince William, will depict a royal reaching adolescence as he grapples with worldwide fame while studying
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/15/78328669-12800267-Imelda_Staunton_and_Jonathan_Pryce_will_reprise_their_roles_as_Q-m-7_1701185305303.jpg" width="634" height="495" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce will reprise their roles as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/78332407-12800267-image-a-43_1701189273314.jpg" width="634" height="471" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
One of the royal events set to be recreated in the final series of Netflix&#8217;s royal drama is Queen Elizabeth&#8217;s Golden Jubilee (pictured: The late Queen and Prince Philip)
Kate previously revealed it took some time for the two to get to know each other.
&#8216;I think you said I actually went bright red when I met you and sort of scuttled off,&#8217; she recounted to Prince William during their 2010 engagement interview. &#8216;[I was] feeling very shy about meeting you.&#8217;
But as the pair spent more and more time together, they found that they had much in common and enjoyed each other&#8217;s company.
It was the following year that a 20-year-old Kate took to the catwalk for &#8216;The Art of Seduction&#8217; charity show &#8211; which changed the course of her relationship with William.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/15/78328677-12800267-image-m-12_1701185449848.jpg" width="634" height="630" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
The events in the second half of the series take place during prime minister Tony Blair&#8217;s time in office
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/15/78328675-12800267-image-a-8_1701185333760.jpg" width="634" height="317" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
Amid a deepening rift between Prince William and Prince Harry in real life, the Netflix series will depict tender moments between the brothers
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/78328663-12800267-Lesley_Manville_pictured_will_reprise_her_role_as_Queen_Elizabet-m-35_1701187937941.jpg" width="634" height="462" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
Lesley Manville (pictured) will reprise her role as Queen Elizabeth&#8217;s sister Princess Margaret
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/78328679-12800267-The_series_will_recreate_Charles_and_Camilla_s_wedding_in_2005-m-36_1701187947751.jpg" width="634" height="528" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
The series will recreate Charles and Camilla&#8217;s wedding in 2005
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/78332473-12800267-image-a-44_1701189339351.jpg" width="634" height="1003" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
King Charles and Queen Camilla, then known as Camilla Parker-Bowles, married at The Guildhall in Windsor in 2005
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/78328681-12800267-As_part_of_the_series_teenage_William_and_teenage_Harry_will_be_-m-37_1701187960683.jpg" width="634" height="444" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
As part of the series, teenage William and teenage Harry will be shown on a skiing trip with their father
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/78332511-12800267-image-a-45_1701189445131.jpg" width="634" height="381" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
The scene in series six of the royal drama appears to recreate a trip to Klosters, Switzerland, taken by King Charles and his sons
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/77872927-12800267-Prince_William_and_Kate_Middleton_s_first_kiss_will_be_shown_in_-a-40_1701188022340.jpg" width="634" height="329" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
A teaser trailer for the second half of the sixth and final series of The Crown suggested it will recreate William and Kate&#8217;s first kiss
The final six episodes of The Crown, which will be released on Netflix on December 14, will introduce Ms Bellamy as Kate alongside Ed McVey who plays William and Luther Ford as Prince Harry.
Another new picture from the series shows William and Kate sharing a heartfelt moment at university, while another depicts one of William and Harry’s ski trips with their father, Prince Charles.
One scene, made all the more poignant due to their current estrangement, shows a young William and Harry having a drink and a laugh together.
Imelda Staunton, 67, who plays Queen Elizabeth II, can be seen waving to the crowds during her Golden Jubilee in 2002 in another scene.
Earlier this month, following the release of the first four episodes of series six, Netflix teased a clip of Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey recreating Prince William and Kate Middleton&#8217;s first kiss at a university event, in the trailer for part two of the royal show.
The final instalment of the big-budget royal drama, which has drawn criticism for scenes depicting the run up to and aftermath of Princess Diana’s death in Paris, will focus on the young royals.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/77825067-12800267-As_she_attended_the_LA_premiere_of_The_Crown_series_6_this_week_-a-39_1701187996289.jpg" width="634" height="1791" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
As she attended the LA premiere of The Crown series 6 this week, Meg stunned in a Stella McCartney dress with a plunging neckline
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/77825073-12800267-The_stunning_starlet_may_be_following_in_her_on_screen_character-a-38_1701187993526.jpg" width="634" height="950" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
The stunning starlet may be following in her on-screen character Kate Middleton&#8217;s footsteps &#8211; but she&#8217;s carving out her own style along the way
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/28/16/77826877-12800267-The_young_actress_who_hails_from_Wokingham_occasionally_adds_a_p-a-41_1701188073049.jpg" width="634" height="932" data-gallery-handler-attached="true" />
The young actress who hails from Wokingham occasionally adds a pop of colour to her wardrobe (pictured at Goodwood Festival 2023)
Storylines include Prince William trying to integrate into life at Eton in the wake of his mother’s death as the monarchy has to ride the wave of public opinion.
The show faced fresh criticism this week for reinforcing negative stereotypes about private schools.
The chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, Julie Robinson, said that Netflix’s portrayal of the elite institutions in the drama series is affecting the public’s perception.
Ms Bellamy won the role of Kate when she submitted a self-taped audition after producers put out an opening casting role for the role.
Announcing the casting on Instagram last September, she wrote: &#8216;Pinch me please&#8230; So excited to announce that I will be playing Kate Middleton in Series 6 of Netflix&#8217;s The Crown.
&#8216;It is such an honour to be joining the most incredible cast and crew and I will strive to do Kate justice.&#8217;
And since landing the role and becoming a rising star in the acting world, Meg has also become hot property among designers; with some of the most prestigious fashion houses in the world scrambling to dress her.
She has been seen in the front row of shows at Paris Fashion Week, and has made her own red carpet appearances in show-stopping outfits from designers including Stella McCartney, Cartier and Dior.
It seems the 21-year-old is following in the footsteps of her on-screen character, the Princess of Wales, who is undoubtedly a style icon &#8211; but in contrast to Kate&#8217;s recent business-chic wardrobe, Meg is carving out her own image.
Typically, she opts for sleek black outfits with the occasional pop of colour. Most recently, she oozed glamour as she donned a daring black Stella McCartney cocktail dress to attend a premiere of The Crown in LA; which featured a plunging neckline and diamanté detailing.

Xyno.Online

Sports

News

Animals

Babies

From runway to royalty: See Kate Middleton’s 𝓈ℯ𝓍y college catwalk — that grabbed William’s attention — on ‘The Crown’