‘Princess’ contrasts her role with royalty’s new romance

For Vanessa Kirby, playing Princess Margaret offers an important contrast to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

‘I didn’t imagine marrying who you wanted was an issue,’ says actress Vanessa Kirby. Picture: John Feder

For English actress Vanessa Kirby, her portrayal of Princess Margaret in The Crown offers an important contrast to the real-life engagement announced this week of Prince Harry and Meg­han Markle.

“I am just pleased Harry and Meghan have the freedom to choose for themselves,” said the 30-year-old, in Sydney for the first time ahead of The Crown season two premiere next Friday on Netflix.

“Growing up, I didn’t imagine marrying who you wanted was an issue in the royal family, and to discover Margaret’s tragic story, and for it to be remembered publicly, is really important I think.”

Written by Peter Morgan, The Crown cost Netflix $US10 million for each of its 20 episodes, and is expected to run for a further 40 across another four seasons, taking the story of the British royal family and the various occupants of 10 Downing Street up to the present day.

The first season showed Kirby’s Margaret endure a thwarted romance with Group Captain Peter Townsend. This season features her marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones, played by Matthew Goode.

Princess Margaret.

“I had this big fantasy where it is like Romeo and Juliet and Margaret would finally find her match in Tony, and initially it’s like igniting a fuse, but they are both people in pain,” she said. “I think what people love about Margaret is she was so vibrant and vivid, had so much potential and yet experienced real limitations around what she could do.

“It was amazing to play someone so conflicted about being ­utterly royal on one hand — the grandest of them all — and desperately wanting to escape it.”

The main characters in the ­series, including Margaret, are being recast to allow for ageing and the passage of time. Kirby wants to return to the London stage and pursue film projects.

Looking back on her work in The Crown, Kirby said she hoped audiences saw the humanity of the characters. But despite the considerable insights gained by researching her role, she is careful not to play the royal expert. “People keep asking me, ‘How does Prince Harry feel?’ and I just say, ‘I don’t know — how do you think Prince Harry feels?’”