Did Prince Harry Defend 'The Crown' Because Of His Netflix Deal?
Prince Harry revealed that he is not offended by The Crown's depiction of his family despite the Netflix series coming under fire from the U.K. public and politicians for its "unfair" storylines.
According to the Duke of Sussex, he is more comfortable with the stories on The Crown than the stories written about him or his wife, Meghan Markle, in the tabloids.
Speaking with James Corden on The Late Late Show, Harry said that The Crown is a work of fiction and it does not pretend to be news. While the Duke of Sussex said that the show is not "strictly accurate," The Crown does give the public a "rough idea" of the life royals lead. Harry also said that he has real issues with works of fiction reported as facts, referring to the tabloids.
The royal's comment has brought to light his deal with Netflix, which produces the hit royal drama series. According to Daily Mail, the Duke of Sussex has proven where his loyalties lie with his defense of the Netflix series.
In mid-2020, Harry and Meghan landed a lucrative deal with the streaming giant to produce different shows within a span of five years. The deal was signed before Netflix aired The Crown season 4, which touched on the life and sad marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Harry's parents.
It earned backlash from people close to Charles and even British politicians who felt that the future king was unfairly depicted in the latest season as a cruel and insensitive husband. At that time, there were already calls for Harry to cut his Netflix deal because of the way the streaming platform treated his parents.
The controversy went as far as the culture minister asking Netflix to issue a disclaimer because new viewers just learning Charles and Diana's story could take The Crown as fact. However, Netflix said the disclaimer wasn't necessary as their viewers are smart enough to know that the is dramatized.
Meanwhile, Harry also revealed that he would like British actor Damian Lewis to play him in The Crown's future seasons. There are claims that the show could cover more recent time periods with Charles and Diana's boys as grownups.
Biographer Omid Scobie said that he heard "rumblings" on Netflix that the series, which has a six-season plan, could be extended. But series creator Peter Morgan said that he doesn't want to touch on royal events as recent as 20 years ago because it will still feel "fresh" in the minds the viewers. (Business Times)