Judi Dench criticises ‘The Crown’ in an open letter for its portrayal of the royal family
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Everyone enjoys a little bit of light-hearted drama every now and then, even us here at the SDC. We’re always on the lookout for great movies and TV shows to get lost in, in our spare time. Now, one of the shows that we have come to know and love is The Crown on Netflix. A TV show that is releasing its long-awaited season five on November 9, however, its release is being highly criticised across the globe due to its poor timing with the Queen’s passing.
One Royal fan who has come out publicly condemning the release is Dame Judi Dench.
Dame Judi Dench has expressed her dissatisfaction with Netflix’s The Crown and its portrayal of the royal family.
Following former Secretary of Culture Oliver Dowden's call to add a disclaimer to season five of The Crown, Dame Judi Dench, who recently published an open letter criticising the series for being ‘cruel’ and ‘crude’, has also now joined the call.
The renowned English actress, who self-appointed herself as a champion-in-chief of the Windsors, has asked Netflix to add a disclaimer at the start of each episode that would explain that The Crown is fictionalised drama.
In a letter to The Times UK, the actress expressed her disappointment over the show’s ‘crude sensationalism’, calling on the show’s executives to make it clear that the series is not a ‘historical documentary’.
Dame Judi Dench, who was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1988, expressed her concern that The Crown’s plot twists would be mistaken as ‘historically accurate’.
She wrote: ‘I cannot – and no one else should – condone this practice by asking that a disclaimer be added onto each episode as a condition of distribution. However, I would urge Netflix to consider the possibility of incorporating an artistic disclaimer as a final credit, while continuing to distribute the piece.’
Dench, who is allegedly friends with the Queen Consort, Camilla, said that there are sensitive topics tackled in the show. Specifically, ‘wounding suggestions’ that King Charles plotted for his mother to abdicate the throne.
She said that this is ‘both cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the institution they represent.’
Despite publicly stating that The Crown has always been a work of fiction, program makers have resisted calls for them to carry a warning at the beginning of each episode.
In response to this inaction on Netflix's part, the British actress closed her letter with another plea: ‘The time has come for Netflix to reconsider – for the sake of a family and nation so recently bereaved,’ referring presumably to the Queen’s death earlier this year.
The fifth season of The Crown has stirred consternation among royalists, aristocrats, and politicians alike. You can watch the trailer below:
There you have it, folks! Do you agree with Dame Judi Dench? If you’ve watched the show, share with us your thoughts in the comments section!
One Royal fan who has come out publicly condemning the release is Dame Judi Dench.
Dame Judi Dench has expressed her dissatisfaction with Netflix’s The Crown and its portrayal of the royal family.
Following former Secretary of Culture Oliver Dowden's call to add a disclaimer to season five of The Crown, Dame Judi Dench, who recently published an open letter criticising the series for being ‘cruel’ and ‘crude’, has also now joined the call.
The renowned English actress, who self-appointed herself as a champion-in-chief of the Windsors, has asked Netflix to add a disclaimer at the start of each episode that would explain that The Crown is fictionalised drama.
In a letter to The Times UK, the actress expressed her disappointment over the show’s ‘crude sensationalism’, calling on the show’s executives to make it clear that the series is not a ‘historical documentary’.
Dame Judi Dench, who was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1988, expressed her concern that The Crown’s plot twists would be mistaken as ‘historically accurate’.
She wrote: ‘I cannot – and no one else should – condone this practice by asking that a disclaimer be added onto each episode as a condition of distribution. However, I would urge Netflix to consider the possibility of incorporating an artistic disclaimer as a final credit, while continuing to distribute the piece.’
Dench, who is allegedly friends with the Queen Consort, Camilla, said that there are sensitive topics tackled in the show. Specifically, ‘wounding suggestions’ that King Charles plotted for his mother to abdicate the throne.
She said that this is ‘both cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the institution they represent.’
Despite publicly stating that The Crown has always been a work of fiction, program makers have resisted calls for them to carry a warning at the beginning of each episode.
In response to this inaction on Netflix's part, the British actress closed her letter with another plea: ‘The time has come for Netflix to reconsider – for the sake of a family and nation so recently bereaved,’ referring presumably to the Queen’s death earlier this year.
The fifth season of The Crown has stirred consternation among royalists, aristocrats, and politicians alike. You can watch the trailer below:
Key Takeaways
- Dame Judi Dench has written an open letter criticising the Netflix series The Crown for being ‘crude’ and ‘cruel’.
- She is calling on Netflix to add a disclaimer to the start of each episode that The Crown is fictionalised drama.
- The forthcoming fifth season of the show has stirred consternation in royal, aristocratic, and political circles.
- The fifth season, available to stream on November 9, will span the early 1990s, a decade of great tumult and scandal for the British royals.
- The Crown is also expected to focus on the acrimonious breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage, which was played out publicly at the time under intense media scrutiny.