'The Crown' Season 5: Netflix in hot water after the show reportedly changed Queen's Annus Horribilis speech
Since its inception, ‘The Crown’ has been one of the most controversial shows of this generation and because it is a “fictionalized take” on the lives of the members of the British royal family, viewers knew that it was going to be scandalous. But every time a new season comes up, a new controversy erupts and it makes viewers even more interested in watching the show. However, it seems the writers of the Netflix drama series have managed to damage the credibility of the show by tampering with Queen Elizabeth’s speech which talks about one of the most important moments of her reign.
Yes, we are talking about the iconic Annus Horribilis speech that the Queen gave in 1992, just days after a fire burned down a significant part of Windsor Castle. In her speech, Queen Elizabeth II noted that she won’t “look back” at the year of her Ruby Jubilee with “undiluted pleasure.”
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The Queen said, “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an 'Annus Horribilis'.”
However, The Sun reports that the writing team of ‘The Crown’ has changed some parts of the Queen’s speech and added some new lines. The report also suggests that Imelda Staunton, who will be portraying Queen Elizabeth II in Season 5, will acknowledge the errors that they have made in the past.
Citing a source, The Sun also reported that it’s “highly insensitive” that the streaming platform is doing such a thing just a few weeks after the Queen’s death and when the entire nation is “trying to rally around the royal family.” The source added, “They’ve essentially rewritten history by changing the speech. This will only add to the sense that The Crown is taking huge liberties with the truth and unfairly causing untold damage to the reputation of the monarchy.”
The allegations come a few days after Netflix was forced to add a disclaimer to the latest trailer of ‘The Crown’ Season 5, following many complaints about the series. Unlike previous seasons, the description beneath the official trailer reads, “Inspired by real events, this fictional dramatization tells the story of Queen Elizabeth II and the political and personal events that shaped her reign.”
Season 5 of ‘The Crown’ primarily focuses on the Queen’s 40th anniversary of her accession and the problems in the married lives of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. The viewers will get to see how Prince Charles talks to his mother and pressurizes her to allow him to divorce Diana. However, Diana is a strong woman and doesn’t shy away from saying the truth. She did exactly that by publishing a book that undermines public support for Charles and exposes the cracks in the House of Windsor.
Apart from Staunton, the show also sees Elizabeth Debicki portraying Princess Diana. Meanwhile, Jonathan Pryce plays the character of Prince Phillip, and Dominic West plays Prince Charles. Other actors to feature in the show include Lesley Manville (Princess Margaret), Johnny Lee Miller (PM John Major), Flora Montgomery (Norma Major), Olivia Williams (Camilla Parker Bowles), Bertie Carvel (PM Tony Blair), and Marcia Warren (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother).