Family drama. Prince Harry was slammed for his Netflix deal amid The Crown‘s controversial season. The Crown season 4 premiered on Netflix on Sunday, November 15, and the royal family already has mixed reactions.
The season covers Harry’s parents Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage, as well as their divorce before Charles remarries with Camilla Parker Bowles. A source told the Daily Mail on Saturday, November 14, that many members of the British royal family—including Harry’s older brother, Prince William—feel like The Crown “exploited” Charles’ rumored affair with Camilla while married to Princess Diana. “The Duke of Cambridge is none too pleased with it. He feels that both his parents are being exploited and being presented in a false, simplistic way to make money,” the source said.
Because of this, many royal family members are also criticizing Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, for signing a multi-year deal with Netflix in September, in which they will create documentaries, feature films, scripted television shows and children’s series, according to Variety. “There are raised eyebrows about Harry taking millions from the company that’s behind all this,” Daily Mail’s source said. “After all where do much of Netflix’s profits come from? The Crown.”
Royal expert Penny Junor also told the Daily Mail that Prince Harry is in an “awkward situation right now” with the royal family given his relationship with Netflix and the service’s recent season of The Crown. “I think Harry will find himself in a very awkward situation right now. It is yet another example, perhaps, of how difficult it is to mix being royal with the commercial world. There are bear traps everywhere,” she said.
She continued, “I would guess that William is very angry about this latest series of The Crown. And be deeply upset on behalf of his family. As will Harry.”
That said, another royal expert, Richard Fitzwilliams, also told the Daily Mail that Harry is “unlikely” to agree with his critics, who are pressuring him to cancel his deal with Netflix. “Harry is unlikely to see a clash between it and the Netflix deal which he and Meghan have made. He would probably argue that despite enormous dramatic licence the series has a vast audience, many of whom are fascinated by it and untroubled by how it ignores facts. Meghan won’t appear,” the expert said.
Fitzwilliams continued, They, as we know, were unhappy as senior royals and may agree with this derisory portrayal of the royal family as a rather sinister, uncaring and often cruel institution…Though they might well have felt the royal family was too aloof, they stepped down after less than two years and might sympathise with aspects of the way the institution is portrayed.”
The Crown is available to stream on Netflix.
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