King Charles' Subordinates Are Allegedly Afraid This "All-Out War" Drama Could Damage His Reputation
The depiction of his crumbling first marriage might influence his approval rating.
Every season The Crown examines a decade or so of the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The fourth season, which spanned from 1979 to the early 1990s, started delving into the romance and marriage of King Charles and the mother of his children, the late Princess Diana. Most of us already know the story, which goes down as the most scandalous and controversial episode of the current King's life. The fifth season, geared up to debut on November 9 on Netflix, will focus on the unraveling of his marriage to the beloved princess, fueled by his affair with now-wife Camilla Parker-Bowles. According to multiple reports, Buckingham Palace is afraid that the show, expected to dramatize the "all-out war" of his first marriage, could damage the King's reputation.
The King's first marriage is expected to be the main plotline of the 10-part series. In the first trailer, Dominic West, who plays Charles, and Elizabeth Debicki, channeling Diana, prepare for TV interviews about their crumbling marriage as a reporter declares is "an all-out war."
The monarchy is allegedly concerned that the show, highlighting the lowest point of King Charles' life, could diminish his popularity with not only the British people but the entire world.
Per the Telegraph, a senior royal source pointed out that while The Crown is "a drama not a documentary" it will still be uncomfortable for Charles and his family. A friend of the King described the drama as "exploitative," adding that Netflix would have "no qualms about mangling people's reputations," even the Queen's. "What people forget is that there are real human beings and real lives at the heart of this," they continued.
However, now that King Charles and Queen Camilla have stepped up to the throne, they will be able to counteract the damage. "You will see the King and the Queen Consort on state business in the UK and abroad and people will have more of an opportunity to compare the real people with the fiction they see in The Crown," a source said. "In the past they didn't get so much coverage, so in that sense it was harder for people to be able to compare and contrast the drama with the reality."
"It is my understanding that the palace has devised a plan to fight any misinformation or fiction with facts," Kinsey Schofield, royal expert and host of the "To Di For" podcast, added to Fox News Digital. "Expect King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla's friends to speak out on their behalf. Expect to see a push of any documentaries the pair have participated in to resurface. Expect a flood of King Charles books to hit shelves. There might even be… I can't believe I'm saying this… fresh interviews with the couple. Something we never saw from the queen."