UK Culture Secretary Demands Netflix To Label 'The Crown' As Fiction

Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary of the United Kingdom, has demanded the streaming giant Netflix to label “The Crown” as a work of fiction after certain scenes from the show’s latest season allegedly miffed the royal family.

Speaking in an interview with Daily Mail, Dowden opened up about why a disclaimer is necessary from the streaming service and how it would help in making people understand that some of the events shown in the series should not be taken as facts.

Dowden praised the show for its storytelling and said that it is wonderfully made. However, he noted that it is important for Netflix to caution the viewers at the beginning, so that the current generation does not take everything seriously.

“It is a beautifully produced work of fiction, 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,” Daily Mail quoted Dowden, as saying.

The media outlet also reported that Dowden is expected to write a letter to Netflix, formally requesting that it should add a disclaimer that clearly states the events shown in the series are fiction.

Dowden’s comments come a few days after Princess Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, told ITV that a disclaimer is really important for the viewers of the show.

“It would help ‘The Crown’ an enormous amount if at the beginning of each episode it stated that, ‘This isn’t true but is based around some real events.’ Because then everyone would understand it’s a drama for drama’s sake,” Spencer told ITV.

On the other hand, many people close to the Royal Family have already shared how the British monarch and the members of the family feel about the show.

Recently, a royal source told Daily Mail that Prince William is not happy with the new season and feels that both his parents are being exploited to make money.

However, the fourth installment of the highly successful series has garnered universal acclaim and is currently the highest-rated season on review site Rotten Tomatoes. The critics praised the acting of Emma Corrin, who portrays Princess Diana, and Gillian Anderson, who plays Margaret Thatcher, and said that they are surely going to be the top contenders during next year’s awards season.