“The Crown” star Josh O’Connor is defending the hit Netflix series that has sparked controversy.
The English actor, who plays Prince Charles in the historical drama based on the British royal family, said it’s unnecessary to give the show a “fiction” label, as requested by British culture minister Olivier Dowden.
“We were slightly let down by our culture secretary, whose job it is to encourage culture,” the 30-year-old told the Los Angeles Times during an interview for The Envelope: The Podcast on Thursday.
“In my opinion, it’s pretty outrageous that he came out and said what he said,” said O’Connor. “Particularly, in this time when he knows that the arts are struggling and they’re on their knees, I think it’s a bit of a low blow.”
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Josh O’Connor stars as Prince Charles in ‘The Crown’ on Netflix.
(Netflix)
“My personal view is that audiences understand,” he continued. “You have to show them the respect and understand that they’re intelligent enough to see it for what it is, which is pure fiction.”
Emerald Fennell, who plays Camilla Parker Bowles, previously told the outlet that “The Crown” is simply a series.
“It is a drama, so I don’t know necessarily that it could, in the same way, that I’m sure that the early series of ‘The Crown’ wouldn’t necessarily have changed people’s minds about the queen,” said the 35-year-old English actress. “People probably look to reality more to make their minds up.”
In late November, Dowden told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that Netflix should include a disclaimer amid criticism of the historical liberties that have been taken about the royal family.
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Emerald Fennell plays Camilla Parker Bowles in ‘The Crown.’
(Netflix)
“It’s a beautifully produced work of fiction,” he explained to the outlet. “So as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that. Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact.”
Netflix has since rejected Dowden’s request. The streaming giant said the show is presented in enough context.
“We have always presented The Crown as a drama — and we have every confidence our members understand it’s a work of fiction that’s broadly based on historical events,” read a statement released by Netflix Saturday.
“As a result, we have no plans — and see no need — to add a disclaimer.”
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‘The Crown’ chronicles the troubled marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, played by Emma Corrin.
(Netflix)
“The Crown” creator Peter Morgan, whose work also includes history dramas “The Queen” and “Frost/Nixon,” has defended his work, saying it is thoroughly researched and true in spirit.
In a 2017 discussion of “The Crown,” Morgan said, “You sometimes have to forsake accuracy, but you must never forsake truth.”
Steven Fielding, a professor of political history at the University of Nottingham, said the suggestion that “The Crown” carry a disclaimer was “reasonable and yet pointless.”
“The Crown,” which first premiered in 2016, traces the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II which began in 1952. While “The Crown” has been dissected over the years for its dramatic interpretations of the royal family, Season 4 has sparked the most debates and headlines so far.
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Olivia Colman currently stars as Queen Elizabeth II.
(Netflix)
The current season, set in the ‘80s, focuses on the widely publicized marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, as well as the 11-year tenure of Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, which transformed and divided Britain.
Diana passed away in 1997 at age 36 from injuries she sustained in a Paris car crash. Thatcher died in 2013 at age 87.
The troubled relationship of Charles and Diana is a major storyline in the series. Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter has called “The Crown” a “hatchet job” on Charles, 72, who is the heir to the British throne, as well as Diana.
Arbiter has also accused the series of “stretching dramatic license to the extreme,” The Hollywood Reporter shared.
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Princess Diana passed away in 1997 at age 36.
(AP Photo/Jim Bourdier)
Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, a year before her death. The prince remarried in 2005 to Camilla Parker Bowles, who is now the Duchess of Cornwall. Arbiter told the BBC that “The Crown” has depicted Charles and Camilla, 73, as “villains.”
Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, has also said the show should carry a notice that “this isn’t true but it is based around some real events.”
“I worry people do think that this is gospel and that’s unfair,” the 56-year-old told broadcaster ITV.
Some Conservatives have also criticized the program’s depiction of Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson. Britain’s first female prime minister is portrayed as clashing with Olivia Colman’s Elizabeth to an extent that some say is exaggerated.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
