Fact or fiction? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle told the world what they really think about Netflix’s The Crown during their eye-opening interview on Sunday, March 7.
“I’ve watched some of it,” Harry revealed of the Netflix series during the interview. Meghan then added, “I’ve watched some of it.”
Harry, 36, previously opened up about his take on the Netflix series during a segment on The Late Late Show With James Corden in February after he and Meghan, 39, made their royal exit permanent. “They don’t pretend to be news. It’s fiction,” he said. “But it’s loosely based on the truth.”
The Crown debuted on the streaming giant in September 2016 and instantly grabbed fans’ attention with its dramatic spin on the British royal family’s history. Season 4 premiered in November 2020 and introduced Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana (played by Emma Corrin), as well as her rocky marriage to Prince Charles (played by Josh O’Connor). The portrayal of their relationship ignited an uproar, with British politicians even calling for the addition of a disclaimer to the episodes. (Netflix ultimately declined to issue the disclaimer.)
“We do our very, very best to get it right, but sometimes I have to conflate [events],” creator Peter Morgan told The Times amid the backlash. “You sometimes have to forsake accuracy, but you must never forsake truth.”
Viewers latched onto the on-screen drama between Diana and Charles, 72, who announced their separation in 1992 after 10 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in 1996, one year before Diana was tragically killed in a Paris car accident.
Though the show tried to stick to the facts, royal historian Hugo Vickers was able to point out plenty of places where the series wasn’t historically accurate. “It seemed to me to be entirely based on Diana’s accounts,” the Crown Dissected author told Us Weekly exclusively in November 2020, admitting that he thought the Prince of Wales was “really badly treated” by the fictional take.
As the series approaches modern-day royal life, fans are curious about whether Harry and Meghan’s shocking royal step back will grace their screens. The couple struck up their own deal with Netflix in the wake of their January 2020 exit, but their personal story might not play out on the streaming platform anytime soon.
“It’s not gonna go that far. No, I asked,” Jared Harris, who played King George VI in seasons 1 and 2 of The Crown, told Us in February 2020. “Peter [Morgan] said he’s not going that far. It was never gonna go this far though.”
