Who plays Charles's 'spin doctor' Mark Bolland in The Crown?
He played a pivotal role in the public rehabilitation of Charles and Camilla's relationship.
A new season of The Crown means plenty of new faces – from those you probably already know plenty about, such as Mohamed Al-Fayed, to those you might never have heard of, such as John Birt and Duke Hussey.
Mark Bolland is a figure you might already be acquainted with but if you're one of the drama's younger viewers, The Crown season 5 is probably your first introduction to Charles's deputy private secretary.
Read on for everything you need to know about Mark Bolland and who plays him in The Crown.
Who is Mark Bolland?
Mark Bolland was born in Toronto, Canada. His father was a bricklayer who emigrated from England to North America, before returning in later years, with Bolland dividing his time between his native home and Yorkshire.
He worked for the Advertising Standards Authority and was also director of the Press Complaints Commission before becoming Charles's media consultant or 'spin doctor'.
His partner Guy Black also moves in the same circles and was press secretary to former Conservative leader Michael Howard.
Bolland was tasked with improving Charles's image following the collapse of his marriage to Diana, a key part of which involved rehabilitating the public's perception of his relationship with Camilla.
Speaking previously to Radio Times magazine, journalist Steve Hewlett, who presented BBC documentary Reinventing the Royals, said Princes William and Harry referred to him as "Lord Blackadder", and his former News of the World column was titled 'Blackadder'.
Bolland reportedly clashed with Charles's private secretary Sir Michael Peat on how best to manage Charles's image.
According to The Independent, Bolland was keen for the royal to spend his time hobnobbing with A-listers, while Peat wanted him to prioritise his charity work.
It was also reported (per the Independent article above) that Bolland would supply the media with "Charles good, all other royals bad" lines, which Peat disapproved of.
The two men were also part of an explosive news story published back in 2003. Bolland revealed a conversation he'd had over the phone with Peat in which he was asked if the royal was bisexual (via The Guardian), with Bolland telling Peat that Charles was "emphatically not" gay or bisexual.
Bolland remained as Charles's secretary until 2002. He then took on an advisory role before resigning in 2003 to concentrate on his own PR agency Mark Bolland Associates.
Who plays Mark Bolland in The Crown?
Mark Bolland is played by Ben Lloyd-Hughes. His credits include Sanditon, This England, The Ipcress File and Industry.
His brother is the actor Henry Lloyd-Hughes, who has appeared in Marriage, The Irregulars, The English Game, Killing Eve and The Inbetweeners.
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Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
