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Priest who gave Princess Diana last rites calls ‘The Crown’ ‘voyeuristic’ for recreating fatal crash

The 'exact moment' of the crash will not be depicted in the show, according to Netflix, but royal admirers and friends are outraged

PARIS, FRANCE: Prince William and Prince Harry were "hurt" by the depiction of the scene of their mother's fatal accident in The Crown, according to the priest who performed Princess Diana's last rites. Father Yves-Marie Clochard-Bossuet, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail on Sunday, railed against Netflix for reenacting the sad event. His angry outburst over the incredibly controversial royal story has plunged Netflix into a new crisis.

Daily Mail reported that politicians and writers backed the french priest's censure and argued that the accident sequences, which were recorded for the sixth season and would be televised the next year, should never be aired. The Crown production crew shot grisly scenes last week in Paris at the exact location where Elizabeth Debicki's character Diana sustained mortal wounds.

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The French priest, Yves-Marie Clouchard-Boussuet who was with Diana in the hospital when she died said, 'It's crass, and it's certainly not necessary. Netflix is being voyeuristic. Their filming is commercially driven, and they are simply interested in attracting as many viewers as possible. The French priest added, "There is no need to recreate the events of that night. This is because Diana has children, she has a brother, and sisters, and it affects the feelings of her entire family. They will all be hurt by the reconstruction of this accident. We all know the facts of what happened – it is all very clear, so there is no need to produce new images of this terrible event," quoted by Daily Mail.

The play will now have a disclaimer stating that it is a work of fiction, reported Daily Mail. The outlet also reported that the horrific production of Diana's funeral by 'The Crown' was described by individuals close to the Royal Family as "crude, cruel, and totally insensitive." 

The driver, Henri Paul, 41, and Diana's boyfriend Dodi Fayed, 42, died instantly, while Trevor Rees-Jones, 29, a British bodyguard, was critically hurt but survived. After the tragedy, he became good friends with Frances Shand Kydd, Diana's mother, who had converted to Catholicism. The Alma Tunnel and its surrounding streets were closed for three nights till Friday morning thanks to a payment from Netflix to Ville de Paris, the Parisian city council. Cameras were set up in front of the pillar that the Mercedes struck. A black Mercedes limousine was seen being dragged into the tunnel by the 200-person Crown film team on video footage. The paparazzi were really a bit behind Diana's limousine in reality, but the Netflix recreation depicted them riding around it on motorbikes with cameras pointed inside. Father was not asked to assist Netflix, but "would have said no" if he had, as per the Daily Mail report.

The "exact moment" of the crash will not be depicted in the show, according to Netflix, but royal admirers and friends are outraged by the scenes. "They could have chosen not to do that. This is evil." a user on Twitter tweeted as the news surfaced. Another user said, "It’s macabre." One person penned, "This makes me sick. There is no reason for filming this." One user wrote, "This is so disrespectful to those who truly loved her & tried to protect her legacy." One user tweeted, "It’s amazing how Haz has not issued a statement about Netflix’s filming his mother’s death. Really appalling." Another user said, "Never watched any of the crown and won't. Please let her rest in peace now and stop making money off the back of her life. She was a true icon and should remain so in our hearts, not played out for money."

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