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The British monarchy, between the reality and fiction of 'The Crown'

2020-12-04T17:39:55.117Z


The popular series takes liberties by portraying the royal family, and has even been asked to include an on-screen warning saying that what is portrayed is not true. Learn why they alert that the program is "dangerous":


By Rachel Elbaum and Kiko Itasaka - NBC News

LONDON - Televised drama usually does not go off the screen ... but not so with the latest season of

The Crown

, the popular Netflix series.

The first three seasons of the dramatization on the life of the British monarchy did not cause much controversy.

However, the newly released fourth season has scandalized historians and politicians, who have even asked Netflix to include a warning that the series is fiction, concerned about the damaging effect the show could have on the royal family.

"It is imprecise, it is obviously totally unfair, but it is also quite dangerous for the shaping of British life," said historian Andrew Roberts, author of

The Royal House of Windsor

, a book that compiles the history of the family of Queen Elizabeth II. .

The series does mix reality with fiction.

Although the costumes, hairstyles and accents are faithful to history, and at times it is

difficult to know when the poetic license comes into play.

The Windsor household is currently facing a number of challenges, including the resignation of duties and the move to the United States of Prince Harry, the queen's grandson, and Meghan Markle.

The Crown

has even helped renew the image of the monarchy among the new generations.

But that is good and bad.

[

What is true in the fourth season of 'The Crown' about Diana and Carlos' relationship?

]

"Inaccuracies are dangerous because people believe them," Roberts said.

The portrait in the fourth season of

Prince Charles's troubled relationship with Diana

does not leave the royal family well off, showing more dysfunctionalities than anything else.

There are also indications that the show is changing real-life perception of Carlos, heir to the throne, and Duchess Camilla, the prince's second wife.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles during an official visit to Japan in May 1986.AP

At the end of November, the settings of the couple's official Twitter account were changed, so that now only those who follow @ClarenceHouse can reply to their tweets.

The change came after the account was inundated with anonymous comments accusing Carlos of being a "monster" or only posting pictures of Diana.

Roberts, the historian, said it is especially dangerous for the Netflix series to change the public image of figures like Camilla.

"Her chances of being queen are greatly threatened by the fact that she is portrayed as an evil or inconsiderate woman, which is very far from reality," she said.

It has not yet been decided what title the Duchess of Cornwall would have if Charles ascends the throne.

Fifteen years after their marriage, the drama surrounding Carlos and Camilla's relationship has subsided, so it might be easy to forget that in the 1990s many blamed the Duchess for the collapse of Carlos' marriage to Princess Diana.

She at some point before her death suggested that Camilla was the third in contention.

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The image of the Duchess has been gradually improving in the UK since then.

However, a YouGov poll done in October found that while 80% of British respondents have a good image of the queen, only 44% see Camilla favorably.

The

influence of the series on the popular imagination

even led the British Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, to declare that, in his opinion, Netflix must make it perfectly clear that

The Crown

is not a true reflection of reality.

"It is a tremendously well produced work of fiction, so, as with other television productions, Netflix must indicate at the beginning that it is nothing more than that," Dowden told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

"Without that I am afraid that a generation of viewers who did not experience historical events will end up mixing fiction with reality," he said.

Netflix was contacted for a response and said it would not comment on the minister's request.

Another YouGov survey that asked about it found that 74% of people surveyed do believe that

shows or movies that are inspired by real-life events should warn

that they do not fully reflect what happened.

Michael Forsyth, who is part of the House of Lords, indicated that Netflix should add a voiceover at the beginning of each chapter that says that some of the events and the dialogue are made up.

"It's certainly very hurtful and unpleasant for [Carlos] to have to endure this and, if people believe it, that is very damaging," said Forsyth.

"They paint him as completely selfish, a bad person who treats the Princess of Wales horribly," he added, "and I am very sorry that he is subjected to that."

Netflix series creator Peter Morgan has defended his approach to how the royal family is portrayed.

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“Very often I have to collect the points and do some guessing, which includes inventive estimates,” Morgan told NBC News in 2017. He added, “I can only say that I do it with the best of intentions to show the subject from every possible angle and make it a responsible biography ”.

Although some protagonists of the show have also suggested that the line needs to be less fuzzy.

Helena Bonham Carter, the actress who plays Princess Margaret (the queen's sister), said a few days ago that it is up to the series to make it explicit that it is fiction.

Actors Josh O'Connor and Emma Corrin portray Charles and Diana in the fourth season of 'The Crown' Des Willie / Netflix / Des Willie / Netflix

“Everything is dramatized.

And I really feel like we

have a moral responsibility to say, 'Hey wait, this is not a documentary

, we're doing a drama series and it's different things,' Bonham Carter stated on the official Netflix podcast.

The program was already renewed for a fifth season that would begin airing next year, portraying a period somewhat closer to the present without being more true than past seasons.

Actress Imelda Staunton, who has done theater and is known for her role as Dolores Umbridge in the film adaptation of

Harry Potter

, will now play the queen.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2020-12-04

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