Jimmy Savile documentary viewers shocked at disgraced star's close links to royals

A new Netflix documentary about how Jimmy Savile hid his abuse of children and vulnerable people in plain sight has shocked viewers by detailing his close links to the Royal Family.

Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story is a two-part documentary that launched on the streaming service yesterday (Wednesday) where letters between the late TV presenter and Prince Charles were shown.

Read more: Jimmy Savile documentary shows presenter shutting down probing questions

In them, Prince Charles asked Savile for his PR advice after blunders including his reaction to the Lockerbie disaster, and also suggested that his then sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson could benefit from his advice.

Savile, who has since been condemned for a catalogue of abuse spanning decades, wrote a PR guide that Prince Charles then shared with other senior royals and the letters show him thanking the presenter for his support and friendship.

One shocked viewer tweeted: "The #JimmySavile doc on Netflix is a very hard watch, especially the 2nd part. What he did was an open secret. The monster had a free run at abusing whoever he felt like. It’s a stain on the British establishment that they still haven’t answered for. Especially the future king."

Someone else agreed: "The new Netflix documentary about Jimmy Savile is worth a watch. The stuff about his relationship with The Royal Family is jaw dropping."

Read more: Steve Coogan defends Jimmy Savile drama

Another viewer added: "Watched the bone-chilling Jimmy Savile documentary last night. It’s a tough watch: the level of detail & research is extraordinary — especially into Savile’s intimate links with the Royal Family, the Conservative party, & the police. Feels like only the surface has been scratched."

Someone else wrote: "The fact that Prince Charles repeatedly asked Jimmy Savile for advice on what to do in terms of what to say to the public and what to say and do after the Lockerbie disaster is absolutely insane to me."

Other viewers felt that the friendship was too uncomfortable to ignore.

One person tweeted: "Prince Charles' friendship with Jimmy Savile doesn't just show poor judgement by a future Head of State - it helped Savile to keep getting away with his crimes. Knowing Savile had powerful friends would've intimidated his victims & others into silence."

Someone else added: "The lesson we must learn from #JimmySavile doc is that the establishment looks after itself. Not us."

Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story is streaming now on Netflix.

Watch: Documentary shows Jimmy Savile dodging probing questions