Netflix has defended its upcoming series The Crown as a “fictional dramatization” in response to criticism.
Sir John Major told The Mail on Sunday that a scene allegedly depicting a conspiracy to depose the late Queen was “malicious nonsense.”
Supposedly, the scene includes a chat between the previous prime minister and Prince Charles, as he was then, regarding the abdication of the Queen.
According to Sir John’s office, there was never any such debate.
“Sir John has not cooperated with The Crown in any way, nor has he ever been asked to fact-check any scripted material in this or any previous series,” his office said in a statement.
“As you are aware, negotiations between the monarch and the prime minister are secret and will stay so for Sir John’s lifetime. However, none of the situations you depict are accurate in any way; they are pure fiction.”
‘Nonsense on stilts’
A representative for The Crown, however, defended the show, stating, “The Crown has always been presented as a historical drama.”
“Series five is a fictitious dramatization, exploring what may have occurred behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family – a decade that has already been scrutinized by journalists, biographers, and historians.”
The most recent season will focus on the turbulent early 1990s, which included the separation of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Sir Malcom Rifkind, foreign secretary under Sir John, also criticized the popular drama, telling The Mail on Sunday that the scene featuring Sir John and Prince Charles was “pathetic and absurd,” while broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, a friend of the King, stated, “The Crown is filled with nonsense, but this is nonsense on stilts.”
Prince Charles (Dominic West) is scheduled to cut short a holiday with Diana, Princess of Wales to attend a secret meeting with Sir John (Jonny Lee Miller) at his private house, Highgrove, in 1991, in the next Netflix series, which premieres on November 9.
Imelda Staunton joins the cast as the third actress to portray the late Queen, following Claire Foy and Olivia Colman.
Several individuals have defended The Crown’s fictional portrayal of certain events.
The Times quotes Robert Harris, author of historical fiction and former journalist, as saying, “I take a somewhat unorthodox stance in that I believe The Crown has done the royal family nothing but benefit in some ways.”
He continued, while speaking at the Cliveden Literary Festival, “Nobody takes it literally, do they? I’m not convinced they do.”
Prince Harry has also stated that it provided a general sense of what life as a royal was like.
In an interview with James Corden last year, he stated, “They [The Crown] don’t pretend to be news. It is fictitious. However, it is loosely based on reality. That’s not entirely accurate, but it gives a general picture of what that lifestyle, the stresses of placing duty and service above family and everything else, can entail.
Netflix has already declared that it will not inform The Crown viewers that certain scenes are fictitious.
In 2020, in response to calls for a warning from the then-Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the streaming giant stated that the series has always been labeled as a drama.
“Therefore, we have no plans and do not see a need to include a disclaimer,” the text stated.
On the Netflix show’s homepage, however, a tagline reads: “Based on historical events, this series dramatizes the narrative of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that influenced her reign.”
Mr. Dowden stated that younger viewers of the fourth season, which depicted the dissolution of the marriage between the then-Prince and Princess of Wales, “may mistake fiction for fact.”
As a token of respect following the Queen’s death, production on the sixth season of The Crown was temporarily paused. Production was also halted on the day of her funeral.
However, the release of the fifth season two months after Her Majesty’s demise caused concern in some quarters.
Brenda Edwards, the host of Loose Women, was among many who believed it should have been delayed out of respect.
