Yahoo News The Crown creator calls media criticism of royal family 'shocking' in behind-the-scenes video
The Crown has been repeatedly criticized by the media over the last couple of months for a variety of reasons, including Netflix's decision to stick with season 5's Nov. 9 launch date despite the recent passing of the series' principal subject, Queen Elizabeth II. Now, in a just-released behind-the scenes video, show creator Peter Morgan reminds viewers that newspapers and other outlets were often very negative in their coverage of the royal family during the '90s, the decade in which the upcoming 10 episodes are set.
"Season 5 plays against a period of real criticism and uncertainty and un-confidence," says Morgan in the video. "It's quite shocking how overtly critical people were of the monarchy at that time."
Season 5 of The Crown begins in 1992 and covers a period when the hostilities between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, who officially separated that year and divorced half a decade later, obsessed both the media and the world at large. While Charles attempted to present himself to the country as a man worthy of being the population's King, Diana tried to build a life outside the royal family and present her side of the couple's story. Diana's quest resulted in both Andrew Morton's headline-making 1992 book, Diana: Her True Story, and her 1995 TV interview with now-disgraced BBC journalist Martin Bashir, in which she famously referenced Camilla's role in the breakup. "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," Diana told Bashir.
Netflix Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II on 'The Crown'
Critics of The Crown claim that the series' return so soon after Elizabeth's death is in poor taste and that the show's depiction of Charles might threaten the monarch's popularity at a time when he is just beginning his reign. In September, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper, the most pro-royal of the U.K.'s broadsheet newspapers, published an article headlined "The Crown's decision to show 'all-out' war between Charles and Diana raises concerns at Palace." The newspaper quoted a friend of the new King who called the show "exploitative" and said Netflix would have "no qualms about mangling people's reputations," even that of the late Queen.
When EW broached the subject with Morgan for our recent cover story on the show, he offered a different perspective on the impact the season will have on the public's perception of the royal family. "I think we must all accept that the 1990s was a difficult time for the royal family, and King Charles will almost certainly have some painful memories of that period," said the Crown creator. "But that doesn't mean that, with the benefit of hindsight, history will be unkind to him, or the monarchy. The show certainly isn't. I have enormous sympathy for a man in his position — indeed, a family in their position. People are more understanding and compassionate than we expect sometimes."
More recently, Jonathan Pryce, who plays Prince Philip on the new season, told EW that he didn't believe the show is disrespectful to the royal family.
"I just find it very disappointing that a handful of people, and it is a handful of people, are being critical of this in any way without having seen it," said Pryce. "I mean, they say it's hurtful, unjust, dangerous — none of those things I see in this production. I don't think any of us do. And as Lesley [Manville] has said in the recent past, she wouldn't and I wouldn't be involved in it if we thought there was any hint of disrespect or anything unjust towards the royal family. It's a thing that's being stirred up by the press."
Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Dominic West as Prince Charles in season 5 of 'The Crown'
The new behind-the-scenes video also offers quotes from Imelda Staunton, who is portraying Queen Elizabeth in season 5, Dominic West, who is playing Prince Charles, and Elizabeth Debicki, who has been cast as Princess Diana.
"It does start with people questioning, do we need the monarchy, do we need the Queen?" says Staunton. "And she has to ride that particular storm."
According to West, "The great tensions that you see in this season, that Peter's written about, is between this 1950s outlook on the monarchy and on public life and on marriage and the modern day, and how they clash, and how Diana really represents the modern day, and Charles is sort of caught between the two."
Speaking about her portrayal of Diana, Debicki says, "As a result of the marriage breaking down, and how she becomes more and more removed from the rest of the royal family, that of course sort of encourages her to grow other pieces of her life in an attempt to sort of recoup control of the ones that they feel like they're spiraling."
The season 5 cast also includes Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker-Bowles, and Jonny Lee Miller as British Prime Minister John Major.
Watch that new behind-the-scenes video below.
The Crown season 5 premieres Nov. 9 on Netflix.
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