The Crown slammed for including Diana's infamous Panorama interview in season five: 'Is this really how it happened?'
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As much as we love a bit of drama in our lives, it seems some people just can’t get enough – and that includes the writers of The Crown.
The popular Netflix series is about to release its fifth season on November 9, but instead of staying true to historical events, according to prominent Royal biographer Hugo Vickers, the show has instead been ‘consistently dishonest’ with its viewers.
The big controversy in the upcoming season? The producers have recreated the Panorama interview featuring the late Diana, Princess of Wales. An interview which has long been perceived as unethical, specifically because it has been found that the now disgraced journalist Martin Bashir, persuaded Diana through lies and deceit to get her to give the bombshell interview back in 1995.
Of course, as many of you may remember, it was during this controversial interview that Princess Diana famously said ‘there were three of us in this marriage…it was a bit crowded’, referring to the then Prince Charles' affair with the then Camilla Parker-Bowles.

Martin Bashir interviews Princess Diana for the television program Panorama. Image source: 9Honey via Getty Images.
If you were unaware, an independent inquiry by Lord Dyson was conducted in 2021 and described Bashir as ‘unreliable’, ‘devious’ and ‘dishonest’. It concluded Bashir used ‘deceitful behaviour’ in a ‘serious breach’ of BBC guidelines to secure his interview with Diana. When these findings were released, Prince William spoke out about the interview saying that it was a ‘false narrative’ that ‘holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again’. Prince Harry also said that he believed the interview is directly linked to Diana’s death, ‘our mother lost her life because of this and nothing has changed’.
To make matters worse, it is clear the Royal Family are extremely concerned about the release of the fifth season, issuing a statement just a few days ago warning viewers that the show is a ‘drama, not a documentary’. According to one source, it is feared the reputation of the new King, King Charles III, could be ‘in for a battering’ as the new season focuses heavily on the breakdown of his marriage with the late Princess Diana.
The recently-released first trailer of the show portrays Charles, played by Dominic West, and Diana, played by Australian Elizabeth Debicki, preparing for explosive TV interviews about their relationship, including the voice of a fictional TV reporter describing their actions as an ‘all out war’. It seems the show will also feature the then Prince of Wales’ interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, in which he admitted to committing adultery with the then Camilla Parker-Bowles.
We couldn’t get our hands on the official trailer, but the short clip below is a teaser of the trailer. If you would like to see what you’re in for, we recommend watching the video below.
‘The Crown has been consistently dishonest from day one. They pervert the facts, they clash incidents together which did more or less happen to create something which most certainly did not.’ said Royal biographer Hugo Vickers.
‘That they focus on the discredited Panorama interview with Diana contrary to the express wishes of Prince William, and when the BBC has promised never to show it again, is indicative of the depths to which they sink.’
Producers of The Crown have said that they believe the controversial interview is worth covering and is a key moment in the fifth season of the show. One source told The Sun, ‘to the writers, the stormy marriage between Charles and Di led up to her outpouring on Panorama, and the aftermath of that decision defined her final months’.
What do you think about The Crown covering the interview in its upcoming fifth season? Is it okay, or is it unethical? And will you be watching? Tell us in the comments below!
The popular Netflix series is about to release its fifth season on November 9, but instead of staying true to historical events, according to prominent Royal biographer Hugo Vickers, the show has instead been ‘consistently dishonest’ with its viewers.
The big controversy in the upcoming season? The producers have recreated the Panorama interview featuring the late Diana, Princess of Wales. An interview which has long been perceived as unethical, specifically because it has been found that the now disgraced journalist Martin Bashir, persuaded Diana through lies and deceit to get her to give the bombshell interview back in 1995.
Of course, as many of you may remember, it was during this controversial interview that Princess Diana famously said ‘there were three of us in this marriage…it was a bit crowded’, referring to the then Prince Charles' affair with the then Camilla Parker-Bowles.

Martin Bashir interviews Princess Diana for the television program Panorama. Image source: 9Honey via Getty Images.
If you were unaware, an independent inquiry by Lord Dyson was conducted in 2021 and described Bashir as ‘unreliable’, ‘devious’ and ‘dishonest’. It concluded Bashir used ‘deceitful behaviour’ in a ‘serious breach’ of BBC guidelines to secure his interview with Diana. When these findings were released, Prince William spoke out about the interview saying that it was a ‘false narrative’ that ‘holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again’. Prince Harry also said that he believed the interview is directly linked to Diana’s death, ‘our mother lost her life because of this and nothing has changed’.
To make matters worse, it is clear the Royal Family are extremely concerned about the release of the fifth season, issuing a statement just a few days ago warning viewers that the show is a ‘drama, not a documentary’. According to one source, it is feared the reputation of the new King, King Charles III, could be ‘in for a battering’ as the new season focuses heavily on the breakdown of his marriage with the late Princess Diana.
The recently-released first trailer of the show portrays Charles, played by Dominic West, and Diana, played by Australian Elizabeth Debicki, preparing for explosive TV interviews about their relationship, including the voice of a fictional TV reporter describing their actions as an ‘all out war’. It seems the show will also feature the then Prince of Wales’ interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, in which he admitted to committing adultery with the then Camilla Parker-Bowles.
We couldn’t get our hands on the official trailer, but the short clip below is a teaser of the trailer. If you would like to see what you’re in for, we recommend watching the video below.
‘The Crown has been consistently dishonest from day one. They pervert the facts, they clash incidents together which did more or less happen to create something which most certainly did not.’ said Royal biographer Hugo Vickers.
‘That they focus on the discredited Panorama interview with Diana contrary to the express wishes of Prince William, and when the BBC has promised never to show it again, is indicative of the depths to which they sink.’
Producers of The Crown have said that they believe the controversial interview is worth covering and is a key moment in the fifth season of the show. One source told The Sun, ‘to the writers, the stormy marriage between Charles and Di led up to her outpouring on Panorama, and the aftermath of that decision defined her final months’.
What do you think about The Crown covering the interview in its upcoming fifth season? Is it okay, or is it unethical? And will you be watching? Tell us in the comments below!