The Royal Family Reportedly Upset About Upcoming 'Exploitative' Season of The Crown

The royal family wants to make clear that The Crown "is a drama, not a documentary", says "a senior royal source". 

"It is my understanding that the palace has devised a plan to fight any misinformation or fiction with facts," said Kinsey Schofield, royal expert and host of the "To Di For" podcast. "Expect King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla’s friends to speak out on their behalf. Expect to see a push of any documentaries the pair have participated in to resurface. Expect a flood of King Charles books to hit shelves."

"There might even be… I can’t believe I’m saying this," Schofield continued. "...fresh interviews with the couple. Something we never saw from the queen."

An anonymous friend of the newly anointed King Charles deemed the upcoming season of the Netflix original "exploitative" and said the streamer has "no qualms about mangling people’s reputations." 

"What people forget is that there are real human beings and real lives at the heart of this," added the source. 

The U.K. government has long had a complicated relationship with The Crown, having requested in 2020 that the series issue a disclaimer before each episode. The Crown is "a beautifully produced work of fiction," said Cultural Secretary Oliver Dowden. "So as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that."

The fifth season of Emmy-winning series The Crown is set to focus on the marriage of Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), as well as the role of Queen Elizabeth (Imelda Staunton) in their relationship.

The Crown Season 5 premieres on Netflix November 9. Seasons 1-4 are currently streaming on the platform.

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Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.