Buckingham Palace is braced to defend King Charles when Netflix airs The Crown this autumn and offers a potentially explosive dramatisation of his relationship with ex wife Diana.
A Firm insider told reporters on Sunday that viewers need to remember the drama series is “not a documentary,” when the 10-part saga, which charts the royal characters, returns from November 9. It is the first series to air since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
A YouGov survey has found approval ratings for King Charles have soared since he took the crown. When asked ‘Will Charles make a good king?’ in May around 30 per cent said ‘yes’ but the rating has now risen to almost two thirds of respondents.
However, by depicting events from some of the monarch’s darkest years, royal insiders are reportedly worried that his reputation could take a hit only two months into his reign.
Charles, played by Dominic West and Diana, Elizabeth Debecki, are touted as being at “all out war” at times throughout the 1990s-set fifth series.
A trailer shows the couple preparing to face the media as news of their separation is announced.
Netflix has not delayed releasing its take on the events of 1992, the Queen’s “annus horribilis” when the Princess Royal divorced Mark Phillips, the Duke of York separated from his wife, and Windsor Castle partly burned down. All episodes will be viewable immediately.
“What people forget is that there are real human beings and real lives at the heart of this,” the source said.
They reportedly said Netflix has “no qualms about mangling peoples’ reputations”.
