With the highly-anticipated release of the fifth season of Netflix’s Emmy Award-winning show The Crown, many are holding their breath as the season will be focused on the final days of Princess Diana. It has been 25 years since the Princess of Wales’ tragic death, raising the question, “Is it too early?”
According to Vanity Fair, a set source claimed that with Dianaās death āstill so fresh and upsetting, it feels as though a line is being crossed,ā adding, āsome production staff are now starting to speak up about their feelings.āĀ King Charles IIIās spokesperson declined to comment on the piece, although sources close toĀ Prince WilliamĀ are reportedly bracing for his negative reaction to the depiction.
Even members of productions share the same caution. āWeāve been dreading getting to this point, a source from The Crown’s production shared with Deadline on October 12. “The countdown is two weeks and while weāre calmly carrying on itās fair to acknowledge that thereās a certain anxiety; a palpable sense of being slightly on edge.”
The sensitivity is completely understandable as the impact of this tragedy, though two and a half decades old, is still fairly raw.
Though much of the anticipating chatter has been negative, there are some positives as well. Actor Matt Smith who played Prince Phillip in the first and second season of The Crown recently made an appearance on The Today Show, where he shared an adorable interaction he had when meeting Prince Harry.
Prince Harry acknowledged his portrayal of his grandfather at a polo match, as Smith cheekily shared āhe rocked up to me and he went, āGranddad.āā Smith then added that he “canāt claim to know if he watches [The Crown] currently, but he watched a bit of it then.”
The fifth season of The Crown is set to debut on Netflix on November 9.