The Crown — the acclaimed Netflix series that centers around the British monarchs within the infamous Royal Family — is beloved by folks around the world for its gripping narrative and dramatic portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II’s current reign. However, Tina Brown, former Vanity Fair editor and author of The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor—the Truth and the Turmoil, claims that the powerful British elites are displeased with how their monarchy is portrayed in the hit series.
While speaking with The A.V. Club, Brown has insisted that the Royal Family is “very unhappy about this season moving forward” and is doing whatever it takes and “whenever they can”, to prevent filming for the upcoming fifth season of The Crown — including a location at Eton College.
Whenever they can, they stop The Crown filming in locations where they have an influence. For instance, [Eton College] refused to let them film there, which was undoubtedly about recognizing William’s feelings that, you know, they weren’t going to have it. So they’ve shown their displeasure by making it quite clear that they are not happy, and we’ll give it no help.
The upcoming fifth season is expected to push the narrative into the 1990s, where it will focus on Diana and Charles’ divorce, along with the sudden death of Princess Diana and its effects on Prince William, Prince Harry, and the entire Royal Family. Additionally, discussions surrounding a possible prequel to the popular series have become a frequent topic of conversation, which assumedly wouldn’t go down well with the Royals in Buckingham Palace.
Season five of The Crown is expected to land on Netflix in late 2022.