The Netflix series “The Crown” about what is happening in the British royal family provides plenty to talk about. Even scenes that haven’t even been released yet are hotly debated. Now the makers of the format are going on the offensive against the criticism.
Stars behind and in front of the cameras of ‘The Crown’ have dismissed criticism that the Netflix series is dragging the British royal family in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. The fifth season has not yet been released, the new episodes are scheduled to appear on November 9th.
They are about the 1990s with many crises in the royal family. Among other things, the broken marriage between the current king, Charles III, and his first wife, Princess Diana, is to be shown.
“The Telegraph” reported that the palace was concerned. An anonymous source said to be close to the king described the Netflix series as “exploitative”. Former Prime Minister John Major, played by Jonny Lee Miller in the series, has also criticized the allegedly negative portrayal of Charles in season five. Concerns are repeatedly expressed about “The Crown” that the reputation of the royal family is being damaged because many people do not distinguish between the fictional series and reality.
Speaking to Variety, The Crown creator Peter Morgan and actors Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West, who play Diana and Charles, denied claims the series was “unkind” to the royals. “I think we all have to accept that the 1990s was a difficult time for the royal family and King Charles will almost certainly have some painful memories from that time,” Morgan said.
“But that doesn’t mean the story will be unkind to him or the monarchy in hindsight. The series certainly isn’t.” He has “tremendous sympathy for a man in his position” and for this family, Morgan said. “People are more understanding and compassionate than we sometimes expect.”
Speaking about filming Diana’s death, Debicki told Variety that Morgan, the crew and the cast all did their best to handle everything with delicacy and do justice to the truth and complexity of the story. West, in turn, said depicting Diana’s death carries a “heavy, heavy responsibility to make it right.” He was convinced “that we all take it pretty seriously”.
