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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zara Woodcock

Netflix adds disclaimer under The Crown's trailer for series five in U-turn after backlash

Netflix has added a disclaimer to its marketing for The Crown after receiving backlash from Dame Judi Dench and ex-Prime Minister Sir John Major.

The streaming giant now stated the show is a 'fictional dramatisation' that's 'inspired by real-life events' under the trailer on YouTube as well as the series' page.

However, it doesn't appear on TV or on a mobile phone when using the Netflix application.

The YouTube, online and Twitter description of the show states: "Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatisation tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign."

It comes after Netflix reportedly refused to add a factual disclaimer to The Crown when Dame Judi slammed the show for its 'crude sensationalism'.

There is now a disclaimer on its online pages (PA)

The iconic actress, 87, called for a disclaimer to be added to each episode, saying the "fictionalised drama" poses a risk because "a significant number of viewers" will take its events as historical truth.

Dame Judi wasn't the only person who slammed the popular series as ex-Prime Minister Sir John Major called the scenes of Prince Charles trying to oust the Queen 'a barrel load of nonsense.'

A source told The Telegraph earlier this month Prince Williams feels The Crown are using the Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana and the “dramatisation of it for financial gain”.

However, only snippets of the Panorama interview will be shown.

Jonny Lee Miller plays John Major, who complained about the show (PA)

Insiders told The Sun Netflix 'decided showing anything extensive could provoke a backlash.'

The streaming platform denied the claims.

They said the series' title page describes it as fictionalised drama but added they will not be placing warnings to individual episodes.

A spokeswoman for Netflix said: “The episodes that dramatise events surrounding the Panorama interview remain unchanged.”

Dame Judi recently wrote that "wounding suggestions apparently contained in the new series" will prove "damaging" to the monarchy and cannot go unchallenged.

Dame Judi joined Sir John in slamming the show (AFP/Getty Images)



"Sir John Major is not alone in his concerns that the latest series of The Crown will present an inaccurate and hurtful account of history (News, Oct 17)," Dame Judi wrote in a letter to The Times.

"Indeed, the closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism.

"While many will recognise The Crown for the brilliant but fictionalised account of events that it is, I fear that a significant number of viewers, particularly overseas, may take its version of history as being wholly true."

Dame Judi called the show 'crude sensationalism' (PA)

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The Crown previously had to defend themselves after receiving initial backlash from John Major.


A spokeswoman for The Crown said: “The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events.

“Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family – one that has already been scrutinised and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians.”

The programme’s creator, Peter Morgan, also defended the forthcoming series in an interview with US publication Entertainment Weekly.

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