British Culture Secretary Wants Netflix To Add A "Health Warning" Saying That 'The Crown' Is Fictional

Britain’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden recently said that the creators of Netflix’s hit series The Crown should make it clear that the show’s content is fictionalised. Dowden suggested that the streaming giant should add a “health warning” before each episode to establish the same. This move comes following reports that the show’s ‘fabricated’ scenes, especially those in season four, are allegedly damaging the image of the British royal family, particularly heir to the throne Prince Charles.

“It's a beautifully produced work of fiction, so as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that," Dowden told The Mail on November 29. He added that in the absence of a “health warning”, “a generation of viewers” who did not experience the events represented in the series “may mistake fiction for fact.” Notably, the culture secretary plans to write to Netflix this week, expressing his concerns.

Also Read: The Crown Season Four Belongs To Margaret Thatcher And Princess Diana: Review

What You Should Know: 

• Britain’s Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden wants the creators of Netflix’s The Crown to make it clear that the show is a work of fiction.
• Dowden suggested that Netflix should add a “health warning” before each episode.
•  Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall had to recently disable comments on Twitter after trolls began targeting them due to the show.
• The late Princess of Wales Diana’s brother Earl Spencer has also voiced concerns over viewers considering the show’s accounts as gospel truth. 

The Crown: Fact or Fiction?

As per the BBC, the series’ creator, Peter Morgan, has described The Crown as “an act of creative imagination.” He has also defended the fictionalised representation of real-life events in the show as a "constant push-pull" between historical authenticity backed by research and dramatisation. The show’s latest fourth season chronicles the marital discord between Prince Charles and the late Princess of Wales Diana as well as the former’s relations with the present Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles. However, the depiction of the same has attracted some criticism for sensationalising royal events.

The late Princess of Wales Diana’s brother Earl Spencer has also voiced concerns over viewers considering the show’s accounts as gospel truth. In an interview with ITV, he said, “I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that: 'This isn't true but it is based around some real events".”

Also Read: Taking A Look At The Women Protagonists Of Netflix’s The Crown

As per The Mail, 29 million viewers tuned into the streaming service to watch The Crown during the week after the release of its fourth season earlier this month. This figure is 600,000 more than the number of British viewers who watched Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s actual wedding in 1981.

Season four of The Crown stars Olivia Colman, Gillian Anderson, Emma Corrin, Tobias Menzies and Tom Byrne in key roles.

Tarini Gandhiok is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.