Netflix’s
The Crown released the trailer for its 5th season on Thursday. The
season will premiere on November 9. The series has always been a topic of
controversy due to its storytelling technique and the dramatization of real
events, and this season is no exception.

Though
a popular and acclaimed show, over the past 4 seasons, it has been criticized
for its failure to depict characters and events accurately. The series also
took creative liberties to retell historical events inaccurately to fit the
series’ narrative.

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Not
only has the death of Queen Elizabeth II added more pressure to the show, but
the main plot that is being dealt with in this season – the separation of
Prince Charles and Princess Diana, is also very sensitive to the masses.

Former
UK Prime Minister John Major called out the show, calling it ‘a barrel load of malicious nonsense’ and
called for a boycott of the show.

The trailer of Season 5 also received backlash
as Hollywood actress Judi Dench demanded a ‘fictionalised drama’ disclaimer.

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In an open letter to The Times UK, Dench wrote, “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.”

“This is both cruelly unjust to the individuals
and damaging to the institution they represent.” She continued, “Despite this
week stating publicly that ‘The Crown’ has always been a ‘fictionalized drama,’
the program makers have resisted all calls for them to carry a disclaimer at
the start of each episode. The time has come for Netflix to reconsider”.

Following the backlash, Netflix has now added a disclaimer
under its trailer, writing, ‘Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization…’

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The official synopsis of the
upcoming season reads, “As Queen Elizabeth II
approaches the 40th anniversary of her accession, she reflects on a reign that
has encompassed nine prime ministers, the advent of mass television, and the
twilight of the British Empire. Yet new challenges are on the horizon. The collapse
of the Soviet Union and the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong signals a
seismic shift in the international order presenting both obstacles and
opportunities.”

It continues, “Meanwhile, trouble is brewing closer to home. Prince
Charles pressures his mother to allow him to divorce Diana, presenting a
constitutional crisis of the monarchy. Rumours circulate as husband and
wife are seen to live increasingly separate lives and, as media scrutiny
intensifies, Diana decides to take control of her own narrative, breaking with
family protocol to publish a book that undermines public support for Charles
and exposes the cracks in the House of Windsor.”