The Crown: Dame Judi Dench accuses Netflix hit of 'crude sensationalism'

Dame Judi Dench is the latest high-profile fig to telephone for a disclaimer to beryllium added to The Crown to marque wide the bid is not needfully true.

The histrion said Netflix "seems consenting to blur the lines betwixt humanities accuracy and crude sensationalism".

Dame Judi said determination was a hazard that "a important fig of viewers" would instrumentality its events arsenic humanities truth.

Netflix has defended the royal series, antecedently saying it is "presented arsenic a play based connected humanities events".

Sir John said a country that is said to see a speech betwixt him and Prince Charles, arsenic helium was then, astir the Queen abdicating, was "a barrel-load of malicious nonsense".

In her letter, Dame Judi wrote: "Sir John Major is not unsocial successful his concerns that the latest bid of The Crown volition contiguous an inaccurate and hurtful relationship of history.

"Indeed, the person the play comes to our contiguous times, the much freely it seems consenting to blur the lines betwixt humanities accuracy and crude sensationalism.

"While galore volition recognise The Crown for the superb but fictionalised relationship of events that it is, I fearfulness that a important fig of viewers, peculiarly overseas, whitethorn instrumentality its mentation of past arsenic being wholly true."

Dame Judi antecedently played Queen Victoria successful the 2017 humanities play Victoria & Abdul.

Dame Judi said the suggestions expected to beryllium made successful the caller bid were "cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the instauration they represent", particularly coming truthful soon aft the decease of the Queen.

She continued: "No-one is simply a greater believer successful creator state than I, but this cannot spell unchallenged.

"Despite this week stating publically that The Crown has ever been a 'fictionalised drama', the programme-makers person resisted each calls for them to transportation a disclaimer astatine the commencement of each episode.

"The clip has travel for Netflix to reconsider - for the involvement of a household and a federation truthful precocious bereaved, arsenic a people of respect to a sovereign who served her radical truthful dutifully for 70 years, and to sphere its estimation successful the eyes of its British subscribers."

For the forthcoming bid of the lavish regal drama, Dominic West volition prima arsenic Charles, portion Elizabeth Debicki volition play Diana and Imelda Staunton the Queen.

A Netflix spokeswoman antecedently said: "The Crown has ever been presented arsenic a play based connected humanities events.

"Series 5 is simply a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could person happened down closed doors during a important decennary for the royal household - 1 that has already been scrutinised and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians."

"I deliberation we indispensable each judge that the 1990s was a hard clip for the royal family, and King Charles volition astir surely person immoderate achy memories of that period," helium said.

"But that doesn't mean that, with the payment of hindsight, past volition beryllium unkind to him, oregon the monarchy. The amusement surely isn't."

The statement astir a imaginable disclaimer comes astir frequently. When the past bid was released successful 2020, past civilization caput Oliver Dowden said younger viewers "may mistake fabrication for fact".

Series 5 of The Crown volition motorboat connected 9 November.