The Crown: Boy with special connection to Sheffield cast to play Prince Harry in Netflix series

Will Powell, was diagnosed with leukaemia at just 21 months old back in 2011 and received life saving treatment at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

The youngster, now 13 and living in Halifax, required daily chemotherapy for three and a half years and after a total of 27 operations, Will finally entered remission in July 2014 and was then given the all-clear.

It was then that his dad, Andy, said: “Throughout everything he was a superstar - our little boy never complained once.”

Eight years later and that very superstar has taken to his first red carpet for the premiere of season 5 of The Crown.

The latest season follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth ll in the period of the 1990s.

The acting opportunity came about for Will when his mum, Michelle, stumbled upon a casting call for Prince William. She approached producers to find out they didn’t have a William role but in fact a Harry!

Dad, Andy, said: “Will was asked to provide a self-tape at first. He got to the last four, then two, and then finally he had an interview with the casting director via Skype. The next day we got the news that he’d been successful!

“He was treated like a star from day one. A big car picked him up and took him to London for a medical, and then myself and Will were taken to a hotel where we stayed for three days during which he filmed his first scenes. Several other days of filming followed at different locations. He was hooked!”

The young actor and his family were left restless waiting for the series to be produced and edited but when the big day arrived, they were ‘bursting with excitement!’.

Andy said: “We had to wait until the evening of the launch day to watch as we were driving back from the premiere in London. We binge watched until we had seen all of Will’s scenes.

“The premiere was incredible; we were treated like royalty! We mixed with the stars of stage and screen, and Will took it all in his stride. He even signed his first autographs!”

After Will’s all leukaemia clear, his dad, Andy and a cousin in the family vowed to thank Sheffield Children’s Hospital for their efforts to keep him alive.

Over five Christmases, they collected used festive trees across South Yorkshire and Derbyshire with support from volunteers and raised £52,000 for The Children’s Hospital Charity.

“It is highly likely that without the unwavering determination and care of the people at Sheffield Children’s, Will might not be here to enjoy this incredible life experience,” Andy said.

“We as a family thank the team from the bottom of our hearts. They are such an incredible group of people.”

The Crown, inspired by real events, is a fictional dramatisation which tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign.