Netflix must clarify that ‘The Crown’ is fictitious, says UK Minister of Culture

The popular Netflix series “The Crown” took viewers on a round-up of modern history through the eyes of the British Royal Family, depicting pivotal events from the postwar years to the administration of Margaret Thatcher.

But the series’ revisions to the historical record – embellishments, exaggerations and even some straightforward inventions – have long fueled debate among academics and biographers, and now the British Minister for Culture is stepping in.

Oliver Dowden, the UK Secretary of State for Culture, told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that he believes Netflix should make it clear to viewers that “The Crown” is a work of fiction, not a lesson in story on the fly. .

“It’s a beautifully produced work of fiction, so like other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the start, it’s just that… Without it, I’m afraid a generation of viewers who haven’t lived through these events could take fiction for a fact, ”Dowden said.

The Mail reported that Dowden was to submit a request to the streaming giant asking that each episode of “The Crown” be accompanied by a warning label explaining that the Emmy-winning series is a fictional version of the family saga. Windsor.

Dowden and the UK Culture Department did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. NBC News has reached out to Netflix for comment on its statements.

Peter Morgan, the creator and principal writer of “The Crown”, made no secret that his show takes an artistic license with British history, amplifying certain events for dramatic effect as he retraces the arc of the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the late 1940s to the 1940s.

But as the show’s script progresses into the present day, the fictitious treatment of famous figures such as Princess Diana and Prince Charles has bothered many viewers – from professional historians and relatives of the Windsor family to politicians. swirling around Buckingham Palace.

Dickie Arbiter, the former royal press secretary, called “The Crown” “ax work” on Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor) and his first wife, Diana (Emma Corrin).

Much of the show’s final season revolves around the royal couple’s tense marriage and extramarital affair, undermining their private pain for explosive drama.

Diana’s brother Charles Spencer also said the episodes should be preceded by a warning that “it’s not true but it’s based on actual events.” He told UK broadcaster ITV: “I’m afraid people think this is a gospel, and it’s unfair.”

Windsor family historians have also taken issue with the new season’s description of Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) ‘s relationship with Britain’s first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson), insisting that their relationship in life actual was not as freezing as the show suggests. .

Morgan, who wrote the films “The Queen” and “Frost / Nixon”, has always supported her approach to the story, saying the creative team behind the series did extensive research.

It’s not uncommon for movies and TV shows based on historical events and notable characters to stray from the strict factual record in the service of capturing the subject’s mind.

But extensive research may not be enough to quell lingering criticism of “The Crown.” Sally Bedell Smith, the author of a biography of the Queen, told NBC News that Morgan’s credo could just as easily come down to “false drama and conflict outweighing the truth.”

“The danger is that in the public mind, [the show’s] The fictional version of events replaces what actually happened, “Smith added,” which not only does a great disservice to the Queen and her family, but which does violence to the story itself. “