American entertainment network E! has denied that its new show ‘The Royals’ is designed to mock Britain’s royal family.
The show, which follows the exploits of a fictionalised royal family and stars Elizabeth Hurley as the conniving Queen Helena, William Moseley as Prince Liam and Alexandra Park as Princess Eleanor, is due to start showing in the US in March 2015.
Hollywood Reporter says it is due to feature conspiracies and intrigue as members of the family plot against one another, with staff members, close friends and socialites also becoming involved.
However, the show’s makers have had trouble trying to find a British network will to show it in the UK. Creator Mark Schwann told Hollywood Reporter: “I think that people are wary. They want to know if an American has come in to mock the institution and a family, and that’s never been the intention. When they see the show, they will embrace it.”
Elizabeth Hurley said, however, that Brits need not worry over the content of the show as it depicts a completely fictitious family.
Hurley said: “No, there’s no mockery in the show, at all,” Hurley said. “It’s totally fictitious. Within a few minutes of watching it, no one could think we’re portraying Queen Elizabeth II or anything like that.”
Despite not depicting real members of the royal family, the show will naturally try to play on the current world-wide popularity of Britain’s royals. Around 300 million people worldwide tuned in to watch the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011. According to the Telegraph, Facebook calculated that 2.8m people in the UK and America wrote status updates about the wedding during the 24 hours before the service.
Media interest around the world was intense when Kate gave birth to the couple’s first child, Prince George, last year, with the story leading in most global news outlets
Hurley added: “Right now, there’s a frenzied interest in our real royal family, because now Prince William and his beautiful wife are young and vibrant and current, and people really identify with that.”