Princess Diana's Brother Wants 'The Crown' to Come With a Warning For Viewers

Princess Diana's brother, Charles, Earl Spencer, said 'The Crown' was "drama for drama's sake," calling on Netflix to describe the show as fictional.

undated family file picture of lady diana spencer diana princess of wales with her brother charles, lord alhorp earl spencer in 1968 photo by pa images via getty images
(Image credit: PA Images)
  • Princess Diana's brother, Charles, Earl Spencer, called on Netflix to describe The Crown as fictional.
  • "I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if at the beginning of each episode it stated that 'this isn't true but it is based around some real events,'" Charles said.
  • "Then everyone would understand it's drama for drama's sake and obviously Netflix wants to make a lot of money, and that's why people are in the business of making these things," he added.

The Crown, as you may or may not have heard, isn't exactly popular with the extended royal family—with Princess Diana's younger brother, Charles, Earl Spencer, one of its greatest critics. Charles has spoken out on numerous occasions against the Netflix show, most recently during an appearance on the British daytime TV show Lorraine on Wednesday.

"I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if at the beginning of each episode it stated that 'this isn't true but it is based around some real events,'" Charles said, as Hello! reports. "Because then everyone would understand it's drama for drama's sake and obviously Netflix wants to make a lot of money, and that's why people are in the business of making these things."

Earl Spencer on The Crown's Portrayal of His Sister Diana & Meghan & Harry’s Miscarriage | Lorraine - YouTube Earl Spencer on The Crown's Portrayal of His Sister Diana & Meghan & Harry’s Miscarriage | Lorraine - YouTube
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Charles went on to pinpoint one aspect of The Crown that he found especially objectionable: the show's take on his grandmother, Baroness Fermoy, who is depicted as austere and unfeeling. "What I do know with the current episode of The Crown, which I found very upsetting, is that my Scottish grandmother was portrayed in this particularly unpleasant way, and that's not what she was like," he said.

"My grandmother may be long gone, sadly, but she still has a daughter alive and still has ten grandchildren alive," Charles added. "Is it fair for people to be destroyed in that way? I don't think so, really."

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Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.