Prince Charles' Friend Says 'The Crown' Is "Sinister" and "Sophisticated Propaganda"

• Although they haven't discussed it publicly themselves, sources close to the royal family (opens in new tab) say they're not pleased with their portrayal in the most recent season of Netflix's drama The Crown (opens in new tab). 
• A source described as a friend of Prince Charles called the series "sinister" and "highly sophisticated propaganda."
• Royal sources have also said that Prince William takes issue with the most recent season of the series, and that the Duke of Cambridge "feels that both his parents are being exploited" by The Crown. 

If you were wondering how the royal family feels about the most recent season of Netflix's hit royal drama The Crown (opens in new tab), the answer is "definitely not great." 

The Crown (opens in new tab)'s fourth season (opens in new tab) dropped on the streaming platform earlier this month, and the newest installment delves into the early years of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's relationship (opens in new tab), among other things (including Diana's struggles with bulimia (opens in new tab) and Charles' infidelity and affair (opens in new tab) with his now-wife Camilla Parker Bowles). The portrayals of the royals—and particularly of Charles—aren't especially positive and while Charles has stayed silent on the topic himself, people close to him are speaking out on his behalf. 

"It is quite sinister the way that [The Crown creator Peter] Morgan is clearly using light entertainment to drive a very overt republican agenda and people just don’t see it," a source described as a friend of the Prince of Wales recently told the Mail on Sunday (opens in new tab) of the show. "They have been lured in over the first few series until they can’t see how they are being manipulated. It is highly sophisticated propaganda."

Prince William (opens in new tab) is also reportedly not a fan of the new season, with a royal source telling the Daily Mail (opens in new tab), "The Duke of Cambridge [Prince William] 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."

Yikes.