‘It’s effectively an advert for the monarchy’
The series left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The praise of Charles, contrasted with the criticism of Diana, felt almost like the result of a negotiation between our new king and the showrunners. I found myself laughing out loud at several moments, but the most iconic moment for me was episode five, The Way Ahead. It is naturally critical of Charles vis-a-vis “Tampongate”, but ends with effectively an advert for the monarchy: Charles giving a speech at the Prince’s Trust, waxing lyrical about how he, too, has been the subject of criticism. The narrative standstill for the sake of fluffing one man’s reputation is laughable, and I thought it couldn’t get any better. Then he started breakdancing. I couldn’t believe it. Breakdancing! I like to think that King Charles sent a letter to the writers stipulating “you can say whatever you like about that phone call, but make sure to end with a post-credit scene about the one-point-whatever billion pounds my trust raised. Then show me breakdancing.” Benjamin, 24, PhD student, Bristol
‘We had to Google the new characters’
I’m disappointed. I can’t understand the point in suddenly creating entirely fictional scenarios. The first two episodes were weak and disjointed. Like John Major, I wanted to leave the ball. The creators seem to want to reenact the Diana in the film Spencer. The characters are becoming more extreme and increasingly like caricatures and the series is in danger of losing the humanity in its previous portrayals. This season has also added new characters and we’re having to Google who they are as there is little explanation. I’m not sure even the very fine actors will be able to save the day. Janet Perkins, West Sussex
‘Lesley Manville steals most of her scenes’
The new season of The Crown has captured superbly the difficulties the monarchy experienced with the breakup of Charles and Diana’s marriage. The role of the late monarch was beautifully portrayed by Imelda Staunton with a great deal of dignity and some humour, and other performances were excellent. Lesley Manville steals most of her scenes, but crowning it all was Elizabeth Debicki as Diana – tragic, conflicted and courageous. A standout performance. Jeffrey Karacs, 59, London
‘The characters were all handled with sensitivity’
I really don’t understand what the fuss and negative reactions were all about. I enjoyed season five immensely. The characters were all handled with sensitivity and the various viewpoints presented were quite balanced. The performances are splendid all around, especially Imelda Staunton’s Queen Elizabeth and Jonny Lee Miller’s John Major. It was such a respectful and dignified rendition that I am rather amused at all the hullabaloo raised by the real John Major prior to the show’s airing. Given that it has boosted his profile and his image, especially among international fans, perhaps he should not have panicked prematurely. Anonymous, 40, Manila, the Philippines
‘As controversial as it has been, every episode was well done’
The Crown never fails to hook you. The cast did a fantastic job. You could say few of them actually resembled their characters this season, especially Prince Charles, but I wasn’t too bothered by it. I expected the last episode to cover Diana’s death and I’m glad they ended the season with Decommissioned. It was a beautiful, subtle tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth and ending with a moment of silence was a perfect way to close the chapter. I’m glad they chose to end with a slow-paced episode, after all the drama of the season. As controversial as it has been, every episode was well done. Charles’s questionable history felt more like a reminder than slander. Yes, he’s made some unfit decisions, but he’s also a progressive, fresh change perhaps needed for the modern world – and his scandals are nothing compared to Hollywood of late. Bring on season six. Anonymous, 34, Melbourne
‘This season didn’t seem to fly like the earlier ones’
The acting from all the leads was superb as always – well, apart from Bertie Carvel’s jarring Tony Blair impression. This season didn’t seem to fly like the binge-in-a-day earlier seasons, especially as there was so much going on in the 90s; it seemed rushed. The Mohamed Al-Fayed episode was probably the best as it gave some insight into Diana’s previous interactions with the Al-Fayeds and where this would ultimately lead. Paul, Belfast
‘A couple of lines made me wince’
I have continued to enjoy this series and admire the way in which each character is shown, over time, to be a complex and rounded person. However, this season did contain a couple of lines that made me wince as they felt a little extreme and unfair, such as when Prince Philip said the Queen lacked curiosity so he had been forced to seek intellectual companionship elsewhere. And I felt the line from Charles about being taken into care were they a normal family was particularly harsh. I think the less “historical” and the more “current” a drama becomes, the more careful the writers need to be. Claire Maycock, 50, writer, north Wiltshire
‘It’s unclear to me what is fact and what is fiction’
Episode four has been my favourite, mainly because of my love for the romance between Margaret and Peter. I think the casting could have been better, especially for Charles. As for the backlash itreceived about its historical inaccuracies, I kind of agree with it – but as a foreigner born in 2004 with no connection to the British royal family, it’s unclear to me what is fact and what is fiction. Nonetheless, I love it. Leon, 18, Paris
‘I’m aware it’s hokum – but it’s a pleasant distraction’
Having read the controversy over the veracity of the series, I watched the first two episodes with some misgivings. But I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the script was OK and so was the acting. I’m aware it’s all hokum, but it was a pleasant distraction from what else is on TV. The events portrayed are within many people’s memory, as opposed to earlier episodes, which I remember clearly due to my age. I would think most people would be aware that it’s not to be taken seriously. However, it may well be that in the US, where the actual events and the people involved are not immediately clear, there may be misunderstandings. It isn’t a history programme any more than Wolf Hall is. Andrew Groves, 81, Cumbria
