The Crown Season 4: Netflix Refuses To Add Disclaimer Before Its Episodes

The Crown season 4 has seen millions of people tuning into the series’ most controversial and dramatic episodes so far. Its captivating portrayal and performances led many to ask between what is real and what is fiction in the drama. Indeed, the Netflix hit certainly follows the lives of real-life royal characters and covers true historical events. However, a lot of creative license has been in fact used to actually add entertainment to the show.

For one, the latest outing features Princess Diana’s eating disorder. It also tackled Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, which eventually resulted in the royal couple’s marriage breakdown. However, some scenes suggestive of the continued affair between Charles and Camilla throughout his marriage to Diana have been invented. Still, many viewers are getting so caught up in Peter Morgan’s storytelling that they take them for reality. These fictional scenes which prove threatening to the monarchy’s image raised concerns of the palace, as well as their friends and supporters alike.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden was one to bring awareness of the issue. While he praised the historical drama as a “beautifully produced work of fiction,” he emphasized the need to clear that it’s just that. Without a warning at the beginning of each episode, viewers may mistake the fiction for a fact. 

He then penned Netflix to request for a disclaimer, in the wake of the broadcast of the drama’s fourth series. 

A friend of Prince Charles even accused the drama of trolling with a Hollywood budget. He added, “The public shouldn’t be fooled into thinking this is an accurate portrayal of what really happened.” 

Even Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, sees the dramatization as highly problematic that he refused the show to film at Spencer’s ancestral home.

Netflix refuses to add disclaimer to The Crown episodes

Because of the contending issues raised against the series, calls on the streaming service to add a disclaimer persisted. They argued that audiences need reminding that the show is a drama, not a documentary.

Unfortunately, the Netflix bosses seem not interested. They refused to tag a disclaimer on The Crown, stating that viewers are well-aware it is a work of fiction. 

In a statement released on Saturday, the streamer said, “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.”

“As a result, we have no plans – and see no need – to add a disclaimer.”

Hence, it will not specify that some of its specific content isn’t genuine despite having its plot based on the real-life monarchs. This announcement came after Netflix privately denied Dowden’s request of inclusion of a disclaimer in the beginning of each episode.

Leave a Comment