Forum

Australian monarchists have called for viewers to boycott The Crown and Netflix, outraged at 'falsehoods and inaccuracies' portrayed about the royal family in the latest series.

The fifth season largely focuses on the marriage breakdown of the late Princess Diana and the new King Charles III and also features a fictitious scene where the future monarch is seen discussing a potential plan to oust the Queen. 

Controversy about that scene led the streaming service to add a disclaimer to the series' season trailer saying the show is a 'fictional dramatisation' that is 'inspired by real events'.

In a scathing statement, Australian Monarchist League chairman, Philip Benwell, said while the organisation has never endorsed the show, the latest season is 'not in any way reflective of the actual situations'.

Mr Benwell called on 'monarchists and right-minded people' to boycott both the show and streaming service Netflix due to the 'falsehoods and inaccuracies' in the show. 

Mr Benwell said the disclaimer on the trailer was 'inadequate' and should state the events shown 'are not in any way reflective of the actual situations'. 

'Whilst it [Netflix] has since added an inadequate disclaimer to its marketing for The Crown, saying the show is a "fictional dramatisation", "inspired by real-life event" it should nevertheless state that the real-life events depicted are not in any way reflective of the actual situations described as they are entirely imagined and scripted accordingly,' Mr Benwell said

'If they are not, the droves of people who will leave Netflix will undoubtedly prove them wrong.'

The latest season has copped criticism from Dame Judi Dench and former UK prime ministers Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major.

In a letter to the UK's Times newspaper, Ms Dench said the show 'seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism'.

She also accused Netflix of misleading viewers by not stating the scenes in the episodes are not 'wholly true'.

Mr Benwell said the show creates a 'clearly fictitious narrative' and Slot Online said the timing of the show's release - just two months after the Queen's passing - was 'disgraceful'.

'It is one thing to create a clearly fictitious narrative such as Robin Hood, but quite another to purposefully build a series including falsehoods and inaccuracies about people still living,' Mr Benwell said.

'It is also disgraceful that Netflix is airing their new series two months after the death of the Queen and just over six months from the coronation of the King about whom the series contains falsehoods.

'I believe that Netflix has been negligent in its duty to the public by not providing any sort of accuracy about such "real-life events".'

Netflix said in a statement: 'The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events. 

'Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the royal family - one that has already been scrutinised and well documented by journalists, biographers and historians.'

Season five of The Crown was released on Netflix on November 9.