Netflix releases a new trailer for season 5 of ‘The Crown’, as the show continues to draw criticism.
The trailer follows Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, as she goes against the monarchy. “People will never understand how it’s really been for me, I never stood a chance,” she says.
The show has drawn criticism around the accuracy of its plot, following Queen Elizabeth II’s death and the ascension of King Charles III.
One of the people who have criticized the show is Dame Judi Dench, who has asked Netflix to make it clear that the show is not entirely accurate.
The actress said Netflix “seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism”.
Dame Judi said there was a risk that “a significant number of viewers” would take its events as historical truth.
“While many will recognize The Crown for the brilliant but fictionalized account of events that it is, I fear that a significant number of viewers, particularly overseas, may take its version of history as being wholly true,” she wrote in a letter to The Times.
Former British Prime Minister John Major, who is played by Johnny Lee Miller in the upcoming season, recently slammed the series as “damaging and malicious fiction” and a “barrel-load of nonsense.”
Earlier this week, Netflix took the unusual step of releasing a statement defending the series: “The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events.
“Series five is a fictional dramatization, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family — one that has already been scrutinized and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians.”
The season’s official plot reads: “With the new decade in its stride, the Royal Family are presented with possibly their biggest challenge to date; as the public openly question their role in ’90s Britain.
“As Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) approaches the 40th anniversary of her accession, she reflects on a reign that has encompassed nine prime ministers, the advent of mass television and the twilight of the British Empire.
“Yet new challenges are on the horizon. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong signals a seismic shift in the international order, presenting both obstacles and opportunities.
“Meanwhile, trouble is brewing closer to home. Prince Charles (Dominic West) pressures his mother to allow him to divorce Diana (Debicki), presenting a constitutional crisis of the monarchy.
“Rumors circulate as husband and wife are seen to live increasingly separate lives and, as media scrutiny intensifies, Diana decides to take control of her own narrative, breaking with family protocol to publish a book that undermines public support for Charles and exposes the cracks in the House of Windsor.
“Tensions are set to rise further, as Mohamed Al Fayed (Salim Daw) arrives on the scene. Driven by his desire for acceptance of the highest order, he harnesses his self-made wealth and power to try and earn him and his son Dodi (Khalid Abdalla) a seat at the royal table.”
Watch ‘The Crown’ season 5 trailer below.
