In the third and fourth seasons of the British Netflix television series “The Crown” (since 2016), the British actress Helena Bonham Carter (56) played Princess Margaret (1930-2002), the sister of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). The sixth and final season is currently being filmed.
In an interview with The Guardian, Bonham said the series, which began with the marriage of then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip (1921-2021) in 1947, is no longer a “historical drama”. Therefore, she is of the opinion that she should not be continued. And she added: “I act in it and I loved my episodes, but it’s very different now. When ‘The Crown’ started it was historical drama and now it’s plunged into the present.”
The series is often the subject of heated debates. A controversy erupted last year when prominent figures criticized the portrayal of the characters in the previous season and called for a disclaimer to clarify that the series is fictional. Actress Dame Judi Dench (88) wrote at the time that Netflix “seems ready to blur the lines between historical accuracy and gross sensationalism”. She said there was a risk that “a significant number of viewers” would take the drama series as historical fact.
There has also been a long debate about whether the royals will watch the series “The Crown”. Earlier this month, Queen’s grandson Prince Harry (38) confirmed that he had seen her when he appeared on Stephen Colbert’s (58) “The Late Show”. When asked if he watches the series, Harry replied, “Yes, I do.” Host Stephen also asked if Harry had seen “the current material or the older material” of the show, to which the Duke said he had seen “both”.
Harry had already spoken to James Corden (44) about the series in 2021 and explained at the time: “It’s fictional, but it’s loosely based on the truth, of course it’s not entirely accurate.”
A Netflix spokesman defended the new episodes, saying, “The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events.” He continued: “Season 5 is a fictional dramatization that envisions what might have happened behind closed doors during a pivotal decade for the royal family – one that has already been scrutinized by journalists, biographers and historians and… has been well documented.”
