Netflix tweeted a clip from its documentary Diana: In Her Words, pledging “answers much of what you’re asking.” The clip includes recordings of the late Princess Diana opening up about her heartbreak over Prince Charles‘ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Duchess of Cornwall.
There has been a significant backlash against The Crown, and how royals are depicted. Trolls on Twitter have been so vicious, Charles and Duchess Camilla (who, per a fictionalized plot on the show, carried on an affair throughout Charles’ marriage to Diana) have had to turn off comments on their channel. Several royals and even members of the cast are asking that Netflix focus on the fact that the show is fictionalized.
Instead, the streamer appears to be doubling down with this new promo. They also released a statement on the controversy over the weekend. “We have always presented The Crown as a drama – and we have every confidence our members understand it's a work of fiction that's broadly based on historical events. As a result we have no plans – and see no need – to add a disclaimer,” a Netflix spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
BUTLER’S SIDE
But the show isn’t as far off as it may seem, says Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell. He told The Sun that the show is “pretty close to the truth.”
Burrell added: “Diana said to me, 'I thought when I got married that my husband would be there for me, to care for me, to support me, to encourage me, but he isn't.'” And to skeptics who doubt the accuracy, Burrell says: “People that jump up and say, 'Well, that's not factual', well, that's pretty close to the truth.”