HBO Max is delaying a new cartoon series mocking Britain’s royal family after the death of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip.
Teasers for “The Prince” — which stars Orlando Bloom voicing Prince Harry — showed the then-ailing 99-year-old Philip ashen-faced and bent over in a drawing with other royals outside Buckingham Palace.
But the series was thrown into turmoil after Philip’s death on April 9, just five days after writer-producer Gary Janetti posted a teaser clip on Instagram, the network confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We were saddened to learn of Prince Philip’s passing and will adjust plans for the series debut,” a rep for HBO Max told the outlet of the show also featuring “Game of Thrones” actress Sophie Turner.
“A new date will be announced at a later time,” the rep confirmed.
Philip’s character on the show was to be voiced by Dan Stevens. It was not immediately clear if the late royal’s character will be redrawn or if changes will be made before the show is eventually screened.
A biographer of Philip, Robert Jobson, said delaying the show was the right move — even though he insisted the late royal would likely have gone along with the joke.
“The depiction of the Duke of Edinburgh as an old buffoon is a little cheap and unnecessary and at this moment in time it may be out of place, but satire has been going on for centuries,” Jobson told the trade mag.
“He had a sense of humor about his time and he obviously would’ve taken this with a pinch of salt. He might’ve even made a joke about it — he was very funny,” insisted Jobson, whose new book, “Prince Philip’s Century: The Extraordinary Life of the Duke of Edinburgh,” is out June 1.
Creator Janetti also voices Prince George, the young son of Prince William and Kate Middleton who is the title character of the season.
In the teaser he posted, George colors Easter eggs in a social media live video where the likes of actress Lisa Rinna comment.
A rep for Janetti did not respond to requests for comment, The Hollywood Reporter said.
