According to various prominent figures in the United Kingdom, The Crown series is seen as a creation that takes true events from British modern history and purposely turns them into something controversial. Even though there is no denying that British modern history is full of such controversial moments, the excitement and the shock that The Crown’s scenes are provoking at the expense of accuracy is ‘completely out of hand’.
According to Dame Judi Dench, the creators of the series didn’t put clear lines between historical accuracy and ‘crude sensationalism’.
Dame Judy Dench Brands The Crown Series As Untrue And Full Of Crude Sensationalism
Judi Dench is a respected name in the film industry. She is popular for playing Royalty in numerous movies throughout her acting career. Judy Dench played Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, and the public loved her appearance in the movies. So if she criticizes something as being ‘too crude and unjust’, it most probably is.
Dame Judy Dench is one of the first actors that demanded Netflix put a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode of The Crown. She felt like this move would at least give clearance that not all of the screened happenings are true. This would serve as a warning to all people that watch the series that it doesn’t present a ‘documentary’ but a fictitious screenplay.
The Queen made the actress a Companion of honor back in 2005. As such, she shared great compassion and respect for the late Queen Elizabeth II. When the reports came stating that there will be a scene in the series that will show Prince Charles negotiating his mother’s abdication with the Prime Minister, Judy Dench couldn’t resist but write a public letter to address the irregularities and inaccuracy of the series. She felt like these types of scenes could give an ‘inaccurate and hurtful account of history’.
“The closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism.” – Judy Dench wrote.
“No one is a greater believer in artistic freedom than I, but this cannot go unchallenged. The program-makers have resisted all calls for them to carry a disclaimer at the start of each episode. The time has come for Netflix to reconsider – for the sake of a family and a nation so recently bereaved, as a mark of respect to a sovereign who served her people so dutifully for 70 years, and to preserve their own reputation in the eyes of their British subscribers.”
Stephen Daldry was the executive producer and director of The Crown from 2016 until 2020. At one occasion, he attended an event together with Craig Brown, where they started a conversation about the series. While the latter accused the series of inventing stories and failing to explain they are fictional, the ex-director stood firm on his ground defending The Crown. Their conversation sums up both sides of the story. The ones supporting the story, and the other side blaming the series for altering the truth.
“What’s interesting about The Crown — and The Audience, actually — is everything is meticulously researched. Almost every situation we know happened.” – the director backed up his series. “Obviously, a lot of the dialogue is different; we make that up. What’s remarkable is certain things that you’re not expecting to be absolutely true were researched — and are, in fact, true.”
“But is this actually the case? Wouldn’t that last sentence read more accurately if its final word was ‘false’? Everyone who has properly researched the Royal Family knows that The Crown is riddled. Riddled not just with artistic licence but with blatant falsehoods.” – Craig Brown replies to this.
Netflix on the other side defends the series and says that it is a drama based on true events. They added a disclaimer about the fictional character of the series in the last season only. They did so under massive pressure from critics.
“Series five is a fictional dramatization. Imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family.” – Netflix’s statement reads. “One that has already been scrutinized and well-documented by journalists, biographers, and historians.”
Damme Judy Dench complains about ‘blurring the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism’. However, Sir John Mayor steps on the criticism even more. He referred to the series as ‘a barrel-load of malicious nonsense’.
The ex-Prime Minister dismisses the truthfulness of the scenes including himself as completely untrue. One scene, in particular, hit him the hardest. The scene where Prince Charles lobbies with him to oust Queen Elizabeth and force her to abdicate. John Mayor categorically dismisses this and assures the public that it never happened.
Prior to the airing of season 5, Sir John Mayor told the mail that if the controversial scenes air, they would be “nothing other than damaging and malicious fiction”.
There is another controversial point in history that will take place in the storyline of ‘The Crown’ in season 6. That is the death and the funeral of Princess Diana. Prior to season five, Netflix decided to make things straight about the sensitive scenes surrounding Princess Diana’s death. They announced that there will be no re-creation of the actual crashing scene in Paris, where Princess Diana lost her life. There were rumors that the series will re-create the scene with incredible accuracy. However, if the director keeps up to his word, this will not happen.
There were reports that the series is filming near the place of the crash in Paris. But there is no information about when will the shooting stop. Allegedly the scene will show the vehicle entering the tunnel and after that, the screen will go dark. Will Peter Morgan keep up to his word?
