Key figures in British royal and political history have called for Netflix's The Crown to be boycotted.
Friends of King Charles III have said that the drama is "damaging" and "poorly timed" following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Figures including former Prime Minister Sir John Major are among those who have condemned the latest series of the royal drama.
The latest drama is set for release on November 9, but it has come under fire for its portrayal of King Charles in the early 1990s. The new series shows Charles lobbying Prime Minister John Major in a bizarre attempt to force his mother’s abdication, reported the Mirror.
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However, Sir John Major has now slammed the series and urged viewers to boycott the Netflix series when it airs next month. The series depicts a scene between the then Prince Charles and Prime Minister John Major in 1991, where the two are discussing the previous Conservative party leader Margaret Thatcher.
In the drama, the scene shows Charles suggesting that ousting the Queen in a similar fashion to former Prime Minister Thatcher might be a wise decision. Speaking to The Mail On Sunday, a spokesperson for Sir John Major said: "If the scenes you describe are broadcast, they should be seen as nothing other than damaging and malicious fiction.
"A barrel load of nonsense peddled for no other reason than to provide maximum – and entirely false – dramatic impact."
The latest instalment of the Netflix drama is also said to be poorly timed, following the Queen's death last month. Previous series have caused frustration and anger from royal and political figures, with suggestions that Netflix should add a disclaimer making it clear to viewers that the scenes are fiction and not fact.
However, Netflix has so far refused to add such a disclaimer. The spokesman for Sir John Major further added: "As you will know, discussions between the monarch and Prime Minister are entirely private and – for Sir John – will always remain so.
"But not one of the scenes you depict are accurate in any way whatsoever. They are fiction, pure and simple. There was never any discussion between Sir John and the then Prince of Wales about any abdication of the late Queen Elizabeth II – nor was such an improbable and improper subject ever raised by the then Prince of Wales (or Sir John)."
Sir John Major is not alone in blasting the series, and others have also stepped forward to call out the falsities from the Netflix drama. Also slamming the series was royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, who added: "The events depicted here are outrageous and totally fictional.
"This programme is doing significant damage to people’s perception of history and their perception of the Royal Family. It has been packed full of malicious lies from the beginning but this level of abuse is now beyond the pale."
Another source added: "All the dialogue is completely made up. All the one-to-one conversations you see on screen are utter fiction and some scenes have been entirely created for dramatic and commercial purposes with little regard for the truth. People should be boycotting it."
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."
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