- A voice actor who starred in "The Prince" said Prince Philip's death was "unfortunate timing."
- The Duke of Edinburgh died three months before the controversial show was released on HBO Max.
- Actor Lucy Punch portrayed Kate Middleton in the series that spoofed the entire royal family.
The voice actor who portrays Kate Middleton in a controversial cartoon spoof of the royal family said Prince Philip's death before the show's premiere was bad timing.
British actor Lucy Punch starred in HBO Max's "The Prince," a show inspired by creator Gary Janetti's Instagram account satirizing the royals through the lens of 8-year-old Prince George.
The series was met with controversy and negative reviews from UK publications, including The Telegraph and The Independent, for taking jabs at royal family members, particularly the late Duke of Edinburgh who died three months before the series aired in July.
Speaking to The Independent in an interview published on Saturday, Punch said the Duke of Edinburgh's death in April was "really unfortunate timing" when it came to the show's release.
"Maybe they should have waited until the Epstein trial, when people are like: 'We hate them again,'" the 43-year-old added, seemingly referencing Prince Andrew's controversial 20-year-friendship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Insider's Anneta Konstantinides previously reported that Philip is portrayed as "a babbling old man who can't speak or even chew his food."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "The Prince" was originally supposed to premiere in the early spring. Janetti also teased the release on April 4, just five days before the palace announced the Duke of Edinburgh's death. An HBO Max representative told the publication at the time they would be pushing the series to a new date in light of his death.
"We were saddened to learn of Prince Philip's passing and will adjust plans for the series debut," they said.
In her interview with The Independent, Punch also said the show would trigger "protests" if it debuted in the UK. Currently, "The Prince" is only available via the US streaming platform.
"People will be throwing buns at me," she said. "I'll be getting cappuccinos in the face."
She also discussed her portrayal of the Duchess of Cambridge — the show paints her as an alcoholic who hates her sister-in-law Meghan Markle and takes multiple jabs at her marriage to Prince William.
"I was never told to do an impression of Kate Middleton," Punch said. "It was meant to just be a silly character."
Representatives for Buckingham Palace, HBO Max, and Lucy Punch did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.