How Accurate Is 'the Crown' Season 6? Sorting Fact From Fiction

Prince William went missing for 14 hours in the Highlands of Balmoral in the days following Diana's death.

Prince William (Rufus Kampa) in "The Crown" season six. Netflix

Fiction: In the fourth episode of season six, the focus shifts to the teenage William (Rufus Kampa) in the immediate aftermath of Diana's death. In the midst of his grief, he goes for a walk on the vast, sprawling grounds of the family's Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle, and does not return until 14 hours later.

His unexpected disappearance prompts a frantic search party. Family members and staff are shown fanning out across the Highlands to look for him with the help of dogs and Land Rovers.

The scene appears, by all accounts, to be a fictitious invention by "The Crown" creator and writer Peter Morgan. There are no contemporaneous news articles indicating that the young William's disappearance was reported to authorities. Given William's status as the heir to the throne, the family would've surely been concerned for his well-being and safety had he gone missing for that length of time.

As Royal historian Sally Bedel wrote in the Times, while William did go on a walk in the hills, he was very much focused on looking after Harry and making sure he was OK.

Per Harpers Bazaar, William said in 2021 that "in the dark days of grief" that followed his mother's death he " found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors."

"As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep," he added. It's possible that this revelation delivered at the Opening Ceremony of the General Assembly of The Church of Scotland, is what inspired this storyline.

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