After weeks of constant hype and worrying leaks about what to expect from that “storyline,” I knew The Crown was going to be bad.
But I didn’t expect it to be this bad.
As anyone who’s been into royal drama over the weekend like me will know, the fifth series is about our beloved Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip, the new monarch King Charles and his wife. His late ex-wife, Princess Diana.
All four, like most humans, have failed, but Peter Morgan stands firm in his retelling of Windsor’s trials and tribulations during the troubled 1990s, including his family’s terrifying years. We have embarked on an all-out character assassination.
I would hate to think that this dark shift in the Royal Family’s presentation of the highly influential hit show had something to do with the streaming service signing Prince Harry as its most famous staff member, crowned with a £77m contract. .
Prince Harry (pictured with his wife, Meghan Markle, meeting up with hopefuls outside Windsor Castle earlier this year) has signed a £77 million deal with Netflix.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana with their children, Harry and William, by Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West in The Crown
Photo: Imelda Staunton (left) as Queen Elizabeth II and Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip in a scene from Netflix’s hit series The Crown
The vicious portrayal of the late Queen as cold, unloving, and cruel stands in stark contrast to the caring, realist leader portrayed by those who worked closely with her at the time.
It haunts me that Hollywood is ready to tarnish the memory of the greatest monarch of all time so soon after her devastating death, not to mention the portrayal of devoted husband Philip as an apathetic philanthropist.
So their own grandchildren, who are well-known for various public brawls with media organizations that tarnished their loved ones’ reputations, must be catatonic with anger?
In particular, regarding the vulgar and effectively inaccurate treatment of Diana, who is falsely portrayed as a bad mother on her sole mission to overthrow the monarchy.
After weeks of constant hype and worrying leaks about what to expect from that “storyline”, I knew Crown was going to be bad. I had no idea it could go bad, writes Dan Wootton (pictured)
If The Crown was produced by any other media organization, Harry would issue an Archwell press conference, warn his lawyer to pull the trigger on Shillings, and conduct harrowing interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King. , would have talked about how the horrific media was going to destroy his life. .
Given that he’s on a salary, what’s in lieu? A decidedly uncomfortable silence.
But if Prince Harry has the requisite morality and courtesy, he’ll have to quickly prove he’s no Hollywood hypocrite and quit Netflix.
Here’s an uncompromising letter of resignation to send to Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos – what I envisioned…
Dear Ted and Netflix Management,
For many years, a priority for me has been to ensure that my mother’s memory is preserved, and made clear that her tragic life and death will not be commoditized by the media for commercial gain. .
Therefore, it is ethically impossible for me to continue working for your company after the fifth series of The Crown, which deals with the dark final days of the late Princess Diana, airs.
A new episode imagines a private conversation between me and my mother, who works for your company. This is, quite simply, deeply hurtful and suggests that at the age of 7 I sided with her mother leading to a later traumatic divorce. from my father.
But that was only the beginning of the manipulation and lies, including the recreation of a private phone conversation between William and my mother, and how he did not support her plight while a student at Eton. suggests.
All four, like most humans, have failed, but Peter Morgan stands firm in his retelling of Windsor’s trials and tribulations during the troubled 1990s, including his family’s terrifying years. An all-out character assassination has been launched. Photo: Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown
On the contrary, the relationship between my brother and my mother was as intertwined and intimate as possible. We both just wanted her to be protected and happy.
For the broadcast of an invented private counseling session in which my mother participated, and for the now discredited panoramic interview that Martin Bashir had illicitly obtained for the BBC, the contents of which were consigned to history. Shatters years of work by my brother. Given the apparently overlapping and dangerous circumstances in which the interview took place.
Most painfully, my mother is shown trying to overthrow the monarchy.
Although she was deeply angry with my father, she called her “my mama” and always remained supportive of the crown and the late Majesty.
A chance encounter between my late mother and father at Kensington Palace after their divorce was heartfelt and mature, but The Crown turns it into another awkward slang game.
In fact, your treatment of my father, Prince Charles, is even more insensitive.
Ted Sarandos, CEO of streaming giant Netflix (pictured)
Former Prime Minister John Major recently admitted that your fabricated narrative claiming to have actively lobbied his mother to abdicate is nothing more than malicious nonsense.
Meanwhile, the deceased Queen is pestering and demanding of the Major Chancellor, estranged from her grandfather and cold to her closest relatives.
You have completely misunderstood her, and it is unconscionable to me that this tripe can be broadcast so soon after the whole world has come together to commemorate her death.
This weekend, the world learned that my grandfather, the late Prince Philip, was enraged by the false portrayal of his sister’s death in an earlier series and consulted lawyers at Farrer & Co. to honor his memory.
It’s especially troubling to me if I’m trying to capitalize on the publicity and hype generated by this latest series of The Crown to launch my own reality series I created with my wife, The Duchess of Sussex. .
We understand that The Crown is a drama, but especially considering it continues to reject overwhelming demands from the UK government, Dame and others, thousands around the world who deem its content sacred. Not seen that way by millions of young people. Judi Dench, at the beginning of each episode, runs a disclaimer explaining that the series is fictional and only loosely based on real events.
The crown is now damaging my family and the monarchy itself.
Therefore, I ask you to terminate my contract with Netflix immediately and respectfully agree not to broadcast my reality series prior to the coronation of my father, King Charles.
He is grieving for his mother and deserves to start reigning without additional stress this time.
I must put the interests of my father, my family, my beloved country and my monarchy above my personal ambitions.
Best regards,
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
