Royal Family's thoughts on Netflix show The Crown – 'beautifully filmed' to 'a firm no'

The Crown has been an award-winning success ever since its conception in 2016, as the historical drama gives royal fans an insight into the life of Elizabeth II since she became Queen in 1953.

But the Netflix series hasn’t always been a hit with the royals, as many of the powerful family members have spoken out about the hit TV show over the last five years.

It’s fair to say the Queen’s relationship with Prince Charles wasn’t painted in a positive light during the third series and the same could be said about Prince Charles’ relationship with the late Princess Diana in the fourth series.

So how do the royal family really feel about the popular show while fans look forward to the fifth series set to drop next year?

As The Crown celebrates its fifth year on air, the Daily Star has combed through interviews with the Royal family to get their thoughts on the hit television series.

‘Loosely based on truth’

During Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey back in March, the pair also opened up about the depiction of the royal family through the eyes of the media.

While Meghan confessed living as royalty wasn’t all that she thought it would be, she added that she had watched some of the award-winning historical drama with her husband during her down time.

Doting husband Harry, explained in further detail with his close friend James Corden on The Late Late Show what he thought of the hit Netflix show back in February.

“I’ve watched some of it,” he admitted. “They don’t pretend to be news. It’s fiction but it’s loosely based on the truth.

“It gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that.

“I’m way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family or my wife or myself.”

‘Filmed beautifully’

And they’re not the only royals who tuned in to the show, as the Queen’s granddaughter has been known to cast her eye over the series in the past and has quite the glowing review for the producers.

According to Hello! Magazine, Eugenie confessed it only took “a couple of episodes” before she was hooked onto the royal series.

She added: “It is filmed beautifully. The music is wonderful, the story is beautiful. You feel very proud to watch it.

“I can’t speak for everyone, but that’s how I felt when I watched it,” she explained.

Loved Prince Andrew wedding

Fans would be wrong in thinking Eugenie watched the show alone, as the brunette beauty appeared to binge the whole series with her mother Sarah Ferguson who also shared her love for the show.

In an interview with Us Weekly, the 62-year-old confessed she fell in love with the series and the beautiful cinematography used throughout the show.

She told the publication: “I thought it was filmed beautifully. The cinematography was excellent.

“I loved the way they put my wedding [to Prince Andrew] in as well,” which was shown in series four.

‘Too heavily dramatised’

The Queen has a history of a hot and cold relationship with the historical drama as the show has developed over time.

Initially, the head of the Royal family appeared to enjoy the first two seasons as she watched Claire Foy portray Her Majesty and Vanessa Kirby play the role of her sister Princess Margaret.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Vanessa explained how a friend of hers was at a party with Princess Eugenie who confirmed her “granny” is quite the fan of the show.

She told the publication: “A friend of mine was at a party and didn’t know anyone, so he sidled up to this group who were talking about The Crown, when one said, ‘Well, my granny watches it and really likes it’.

“It slowly dawned on him that the girl was Eugenie and her granny was the Queen,” she explained.

According to the Daily Express, it was Queen Elizabeth II’s son Prince Edward who got her hooked on the TV series.

An inside source told the publication: “It has been a long-standing arrangement that they drive to Windsor at the weekend to join the Queen for an informal supper while watching TV or a film.

“They have a Netflix account and urged her to watch it with them. Happily, she really liked it, although obviously, there were some depictions of events that she found too heavily dramatised.”

But by the second series, it is thought the Queen became upset at the depiction of Prince Charles’ time at school and Prince Philip’s insensitivity towards him during the show.

A senior courtier told Express.co.uk that Her Majesty didn’t feel comfortable with the dramatised scenes but understood there was nothing she could do about it.

The courtier said: “The Queen realises that many who watch The Crown take it as an accurate portrayal of the royal family and she cannot change that.

“But I can convey that she was upset by the way Prince Philip is depicted as being a father insensitive to his son’s well-being.

“She was particularly annoyed at a scene in while Philip has no sympathy for a plainly upset Charles while he is flying him home from Scotland. That simply did not happen.”

‘A firm no’

But Olivia Colman was met with a mixed reception by the Royal family when she reprised the role of the Queen in the third series.

While she appeared on the Graham Norton show, the award-winning actress explained her awkward encounter with Prince William about his thoughts on the show.

She shared: “He asked what I was doing at the moment before he quickly added, ‘Actually, I know what you’re doing’.

“I was so excited and asked, ‘Have you watched it?’ His answer was a firm no. But he was very charming and very lovely.”

‘Not complicit in interpretations’

In September 2019, The Crown’s creator and writer of the show, Peter Morgan, told The Times that he had meetings with “people who are very high ranking and very active within the organsation” ahead of the launch of the fourth series.

He added that members within the royal household wanted to meet with the writer so that he could “tell them what I have in mind and they can brace themselves slightly.”

But it appears as though the latest series didn’t go down well with the Palace, as the Queen’s communications secretary later penned a disgruntled letter to The Guardian sharing their disappointment with the show.

It read: “Your article (the writer of The Crown reveals he keeps royal household in the picture, 7 September) may have the unfortunate consequence of leading your readers to believe that the television series The Crown is made with some sort of endorsement by the royal household or an acceptance by the royal household that the drama is factually accurate.

“We appreciate that readers of The Guardian may enjoy this fictionalised interpretation of historical events but they should do so knowing that the royal household is not complicit in interpretations made by the programme.

“The royal household has never agreed to vet or approve content, has not asked to know what topics will be included, and would never express a view as to the programme’s accuracy.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk