‘The Crown’ royal drama: Finale fact vs. fiction
Elizabeth Stanton Ashley Papa
The hit Netflix royal show "The Crown" is now in its final season, and the first four episodes have prompted scrutiny over their accuracy.
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Fox News
The final season of "The Crown" is in full swing, and audiences are wondering what’s fact and what’s fiction.

The first four episodes of the final season, which premiered on Netflix Nov. 16, have focused on the final days of Princess Diana and the impact of her death on the royal family.

Some royal experts have taken issue with this season’s approach to dramatizing events.

"I think ‘The Crown’ missed the boat this time," Christopher Andersen, author of "The Day Diana Died," told Fox News Digital. "Why invent dialogue and situations that didn't happen when the truth is stunningly dramatic enough?" For example, there is one scene where Diana turns down Dodi Fayed's marriage proposal. We don't know if he even ever proposed to her."

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The third episode, "Dis-moi Oui," contains the scene Andersen refers to, Diana turning down Dodi Fayed’s proposal shortly before their fatal car crash.

According to The Guardian, Dodi Fayed did purchase a ring the day before the crash, Aug. 30, 1997, but never had a chance to present it to her before their deaths.

The Washington Post reported that, according to an Operation Paget report, an engagement ring was never found at the crash site.

In the fourth episode, Prince William is shown taking an extended walk on the family’s Balmoral estate and not returning for 14 hours, prompting a frantic search for the young prince.

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According to Andersen, there is "no evidence" of the incident happening.

Prince William did say in 2021 at the opening ceremony of the General Assembly of The Church of Scotland that he "found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors," according to Harper's Bazaar.

Details of Princess Diana’s relationship with Fayed have also been adjusted to maximize drama.

Another scene shows Diana being grilled about photos of her and Fayed kissing during a press conference in Bosnia to promote landmine awareness.

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Royal expert Hilary Fordwich notes that the chain of events happened differently.

"Those who were [there] deny any media obsession relating to her relationship with Dodi," Fordwich said. "She wasn’t barraged with incessant questions regarding that nascent relationship since, at that juncture, it wasn’t yet widely publicized. The infamous photo of their embrace was only published a day or so later."

The images, as shown in the episode, prompted Charles’ publicist to suggest he take a wholesome photo with William and Harry on the Balmoral estate.

According to The Times, the photos were taken by several royal photographers in a planned shoot to allow the family privacy during the rest of their stay.

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Charles' relationship with Camilla also gets fictional treatment. In the first episode of the season, Charles throws a 50th birthday party for Camilla, begging Queen Elizabeth II to attend. The only member of the royal family who does end up attending is Princess Margaret.

Per The Times, that never happened, and Charles wasn’t seeking the queen’s approval at the time. He had divorced Diana the previous year.

However, some of the most surprising moments on the show are not fictionalized.

In the first episode, Fayed’s fiancée Kelly Fisher visits him on his yacht in the Mediterranean, where he is also romancing Diana.

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That actually happened, and according to The Times, Fisher later said she was "livid" because "they basically kept me hidden."

The show's depiction of the public’s reaction and outcry over Queen Elizabeth II’s seeming lack of response and emotion following Princess Diana’s death divided experts.

"There was real anger throughout the world when the queen initially refused to interrupt her vacation at Balmoral or fly the Union Jack at half-staff over Buckingham Palace," Andersen said. "Those days really shook the monarchy to its foundations; the public rage was palpable."

In his opinion, "none of that … is really conveyed in ‘The Crown,’" and he feels the speech, as delivered by Imelda Staunton in the role of Queen Elizabeth II, "which she more or less had to make to save the monarchy, is a watered-down, soulless version of the original."

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In Fordwich’s opinion, the show accurately featured scenes of the crowds in the background, capturing the country’s collective grief.

"Never before and never since had the public been so featured in the background. This was in place of the traditional family photos. It was intended as a nod to the overwhelming public outpouring of grief," she said.

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Attention to "The Crown’s" historical detail intensified during season 4, which featured the introduction of Princess Diana to the series' storyline and coincided with the real-life departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle from their royal duties.

When season 4 premiered, sources close to Charles came forward and said he was unhappy with how he, Diana and Camilla Parker-Bowles, were depicted.

During an appearance on "The Late Late Show" in 2021, Prince Harry shared his feelings about the show with host James Corden.

"They don’t pretend to be news," he explained. "It’s fiction. But it’s loosely based on the truth. Of course, it’s not strictly accurate.

"It gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that."

He added that he sometimes felt the series was more honest than some of the news stories he and Markle faced in the press.

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"I’m way more comfortable with ‘The Crown’ than I am seeing the stories written about my family, or my wife or myself. That is obviously fiction — take it how you will. But this is being reported on as a fact because you’re supposedly news."

The most recent season may be difficult for Princess Diana’s sons to endure.

"Many royal watchers feel great pity for William and Harry being reminded of that period again, especially for Harry, who, through his own recollections, caused him tremendous mental strain and anxiety," Ian Pelham Turner, a royal expert and former royal photographer said. "So, although the royal mantra ‘never explain never complain’ comes inevitably into play, I feel there is private outrage by royal members and courtiers about the dramatization of events."

In 2020, the U.K. government’s culture secretary even insisted "The Crown" should carry a "fiction" warning before each episode.

At the time, Netflix issued a statement saying, "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."

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Reviewers and fans have taken issue with this season, including scenes of the ghosts of Diana and Fayed appearing to Charles, the queen and Mohammed al-Fayed.

"This soapy departure from a strictly research period piece was intentional and clearly orchestrated to remind audiences that the show is fictional without providing the prelude disclaimer as the royal family has been requesting for years," royal expert Shannon Felton Spence said.

Felton Spence speculates this element has "the firm’s fingerprints" all over it, citing a more sympathetic portrayal of Charles "worthy of our loyalty and affection."

She also notes that a scene in the first episode of the season, showing Charles telling his PR representative Mark Bolland to get positive stories about Camilla in the press, was added to back up the claim in Prince Harry’s memoir, "Spare," that "Bolland has been trading false stories about the princes to the press in exchange of favorable coverage of Camilla for nearly 30 years."

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"The writers know that they are cosigning that claim as fact by putting that pivotal moment in ‘The Crown,’" she added. "Basically, both sides of the family have recognized ‘The Crown’ as a vehicle to steer the public narrative and have taken advantage of the opportunity."

One thing the show has been able to accurately recreate are the fashions of the heavily photographed real-life people.

"Sartorially speaking, this recent period in royal history is when things really started to get interesting, as Diana, finally free from the shackles of royal style etiquette and decorum, and newly adept at expressing herself through the flamboyant language of clothes, really came into her own, crystallizing her status as a global fashion icon," Miranda Holder, celebrity stylist and royal fashion expert told Fox News Digital.

Holder praised many of the outfits recreated for the show, including the vibrant swimwear worn by Princess Diana when she was photographed on Fayed’s yacht.

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"A glorious riot of leopard, neon and high-cut legs, which will doubtlessly inspire the younger fans of the show today, proving that fashion is indeed eternal, as will no doubt be the lasting legacy of Princess Diana," she said.

The final six episodes of "The Crown" will premiere on Netflix Dec. 14.