The Crown, a Netflix original series, has been around since 2016 and started off as a harmless and informative TV show that had bits and pieces of dramatization scattered throughout. However, according to critics and avid watchers of The Crown, the show has gotten more controversial and political with the release of new seasons..

After Queen Elizabeth’s passing in Sep. 2022, fans of The Crown were skeptical about whether or not the show would be appropriate to show as the Royal Family was in mourning of their family member, and the country of England lost their long-time ruler. 

This didn’t stop Netflix from dropping the new season 5 trailer on Oct. 20 showing a new cast to play the members of the royal family. However, the trailer did display a disclaimer on the trailer saying “The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events. Series Five is fictional dramatization, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family— one that has been scrutinized and well-documented by journalists, biographers, and historians.” 

As the disclaimer states, this new season depicts a hard time in the royal family. This season displays the falling apart of the marriage between Princess Diana and the former Prince Charles, Princess Anne’s divorce, Princess Diana’s relationship with Dodi Fayed, and the Windsor Castle fire. 

Former Prime Minister John Major who worked alongside former Queen Elizabeth II does not feel that the story is realistic or appropriate after her passing. Former Prime Minister Major says that the show is a “barrel-load of nonsense,” according to The Independent Magazine UK, and that it is a show of “malicious fiction.” Former Prime Minister Major will be included in this new season of The Crown, despite his negative opinions towards the show. 

People even closer to the former Queen, both famous and not, also do not believe the show is an accurate portrayal of the royal family that they know. Actress Judi Dench, a friend of King Charles and Queen Camilla describes the show as being an “inaccurate and hurtful account of history,” also according to The Independent Magazine UK. Dench believes that Netflix should stop the continuation of the show as it disrespects the former Queen Elizabeth and the work she put into the country. 

According to People magazine, Helen Bonham Carter, who played Princess Margaret in season four of the show, was not aware that the contents of the script was going to paint Princess Margaret and the royal family as a whole in such a bad light.  One of Queen  Elizabeth’s lifelong friends even asked Bonham Carter why she proceeded with  making of the show and her response was, “… the thing is, I’m an actress, and I have to do what’s written for me.”Despite all of this controversy on the new season, the show still holds a relatively high ranking on Rotten Tomatoes with 86%, and is still on Netflix’s top ten TV shows list. What do you think about this so-called controversy? Is it really that big of a deal that a show meant to entertain sometimes dramatizes the royal family?