THE CROWN. Season 5 of The Crown has been available on Netflix since November 9, 2022. If those close to Buckingham Palace recall that it is fiction, is the series faithful to reality?
[Mis à jour le 10 novembre 2022 à 10h38] The Crown is fiction. This is in any case what those close to Buckingham Palace have been hammering since the launch of the series. Season 5 is out on netflix this Wednesday, November 9, 2022, and addresses many crises within the royal family, and more particularly the media break between the then prince Charles (Dominic West) and his first wife, Lady Diana Spencer (Elizabeth Debicki). To counter the outcry, Netflix now recalls that the series is “inspired by real events”, which does not make it a documentary. But are all the events related in the series faithful to reality?
Let the viewers make no mistake about it: “The Crown” certainly returns with great precision to real historical events, but certain parts – the most intimate in particular – are largely fictionalized. Regarding this fifth season, the entourage of former Prime Minister John Major spoke in particular about a scene showing him with Prince Charles maneuvering to have Queen Elizabeth II abdicate: “It’s fiction, pure and simple. There was never any discussion between Sir John and the Prince of Wales about an abdication of Queen Elizabeth II.” Tony Blair, also a former Prime Minister, for his part reacted to a scene where we see him having a secret meeting with Prince Charles, with the aim of allowing him to marry Camilla Parker Bowles: “As you can imagine, This is absolute bullshit,” he reacted to the Daily Telegraph.
“The Crown” therefore takes liberties with historical reality. But then, what is true in the series, and more particularly in this season 5? All the historical events in the media, whether it’s the fire at Windsor Castle, the appearance of Diana in her “vengeance dress” or the “tampongate” (or “Camillagate”) that we see in the episode 5. This telephone exchange between Charles and Camilla had made the headlines of the British tabloids, especially since the two main interested parties were both married at the time. Buckingham Palace has never denied the content of such an exchange. In previous seasons, rumors of affairs maintained by Prince Philip with women other than the Queen have never been proven. “Overall, it tells the real story well, but in order to make it a series, the writers took a lot of more or less serious liberties,” explained Joffrey Ricome, co-writer of “The Crown”, the real one. false, at the microphone of France info.
The British royal family has never spoken publicly about “The Crown”. But they are perfectly aware of what the series is about. Prince Charles is said to have revealed during a meeting with Scottish politicians in August 2022 “to be far from the way in which they [le] depict on Netflix”, revealed the leader of the Scottish Labor Party Anas Sarwar. For his part, Prince Harry indicated in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 that he had “seen part” of the series “The Crown”, while specifying to James Corden has fewer problems with the series than with the British tabloids, but he insisted that “it does not claim to be information. It’s fiction. It gives you a rough idea of what that way of life is, the pressures to put duty and service before family and everything else.” For his part, Prince William is adamant: no, he doesn’t. don’t watch “The Crown”, at least that’s what he told Olivia Colman, who played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 3 and 4 of the Netflix series.
What did Queen Elizabeth II think of “The Crown”?
The Queen’s communications officer told the Guardian in September 2019 that “the royal household never agreed to check or approve the content of ‘The Crown’, never asked to know what topics would be covered. and will never express a view on the accuracy of the program”. The Daily Express also reported in 2017 that Elizabeth II had watched the first two seasons well: if she would have liked the first, although it was very “romanticized”, she would not have liked the way the second portrayed icy relations between Prince Philip and his son Charles. Stéphane Bern for his part affirmed in 2019 that it “seems that the queen adores”, information confirmed by Princess Eugenie, granddaughter of Elizabeth II, who told actress Vanessa Kirby (Princess Margaret in the first two seasons) that her grandmother “loved” the show very much.
Season 5 of “The Crown” criticized before its release
The release of season 5 of “The Crown” is causing serious concern, and many observers of the time are keen to recall that the Netflix series is a fiction, not a documentary. Former British Prime Minister John Major, played by Jonny Lee Miller in the series, reacted in a press release sent to the Daily Mail by his spokesperson that he never had a conversation with Prince Charles in the purpose of forcing the abdication of Queen Elizabeth II, contrary to what the series claims. “We disrespect those who are no longer with us, or we put words in the mouths of those who are still there but who are not able to defend themselves.” Judi Dench also spoke to defend the royal family and recall the fictional nature of “The Crown”
As we change era and generation, “The Crown” will change cast for season 5, as was the case for season 3. Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter 5) succeeds Claire Foy and Olivia Colman in the role of Elizabeth II, while Jonathan Pryce will play her husband, Prince Philip. The Queen of England’s sister, Princess Margaret, will be played by actress Lesley Manville. Elizabeth Debicki finds herself playing Princess Diana, while Dominic West plays Prince Charles. Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary, Emma) has been cast as John Major.
Season 5 of “The Crown” is finally available on Netflix. The platform of streaming uploaded its fifth burst of episodes this Wednesday, November 9, 2022. Subscribers can already binge-watch the series, which reveals new tensions and new scandals within the British royal family.