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'The Crown' star James Murray says Prince Andrew has become a 'panto villain'

James Murray as Prince Andrew in The Crown S5. (Netflix)
James Murray as Prince Andrew in The Crown. (Netflix)

The Crown star James Murray has said Prince Andrew has become a "pantomime villain".

The actor, 47, plays the royal in the upcoming fifth series of the Netflix show.

He told Radio Times that since he was cast people approach him with stories about Andrew, who was in the news over sexual assault allegations that he went on to settle out of court.

Read more: Netflix unveils first look images from season five of The Crown

"It’s difficult, because a lot of opinions about Andrew in recent years have rightfully been negative, so people will turn any ambiguous story into a negative one if they’ve decided somebody is a wrong 'un," he was quoted as telling Netflix.

"So many people have come up to me since I got the role and told me stories – either they met him, or someone they know met him, or their parents met him – but while the stories themselves were innocuous there was usually a spin put on them."

The Duke of York walks behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown placed on top, as it is carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, during the ceremonial procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday. Picture date: Wednesday September 14, 2022.
James Murray plays Prince Andrew in The Crown. (PA)

"His behaviour, and the choices he made, have made him into almost a pantomime villain," he added.

The Crown started in 2016 and so far four seasons have been released.

The drama returns this month, with Elizabeth Debicki taking over from Emma Corrin as Princess Diana and Dominic West starring as Charles.

The Crown S5 (Netflix)
The Crown returns this month, with Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. (Netflix)

The show has been a big success with critics and viewers alike but there had been calls for the streaming service to add a disclaimer to make it clear that it is fiction.

Read more: The Crown's Matt Smith says Prince Harry called him 'Granddad' when they met at polo

Then last month Netflix added one to its marketing, which said the show is a "fictional dramatisation" that was "inspired by real-life events".

The show returns on 9 November.

Watch: Elizabeth Debicki admits royal news makes her 'nauseous'