As The Crown progresses, its creator, Peter Morgan, leans towards a more humanistic approach in portraying the royal subjects. This approach involves romanticizing and sparing them from accountability for their darker moments. The fifth season faced criticism for blending fiction and reality, distorting the historical narrative of Britain’s royal family.
The upcoming sixth season, releasing in two parts on November 16 and December 13, 2023, delves into a darker period, exploring the death of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. Morgan, rather than heeding criticism, embraces a narrative that blurs reality and fantasy, diverting attention from the harsh reality of their deaths. While some moments faithfully recreate real-life events, others intentionally blur the lines between fact and fiction.
The blurred lines in the narrative stem from the conflicting rumors surrounding the royal family in real life. The series rejects certain claims without concrete evidence, adding to the challenge of distinguishing truth from fantasy. However, this season takes more significant liberties, particularly in insinuating Mohamed Al-Fayed’s culpability in the events leading to Diana and Dodi’s deaths.
Unlike previous seasons, the show portrays someone close to the royal family as intentionally exploiting it rather than being a victim. Al-Fayed is depicted as ruthless and politically motivated, orchestrating meetings between Diana and Dodi and manipulating their interactions. The show even fictionalizes claims that he hired a photographer to follow the couple, contributing to the media frenzy that led to the tragic car crash.
The narrative’s manipulative framing extends to the portrayal of the British media’s relationship with the royal family. While the show acknowledges the role of publicists in facilitating media sensationalism, it falls short of holding the monarchy accountable for its contribution to the media ecosystem. Instead, the focus turns to portraying Al-Fayed as an opportunist, contributing to a narrative of victim-blaming.
The depiction of Dodi Fayed is equally unflattering, presenting him as weak-willed and drawn to power. Diana’s alleged lack of interest in marrying him is emphasized, leaving the authenticity of their relationship up for debate. The narrative surrounding Al-Fayed and his son highlights the absurdity in the portrayal of Queen Elizabeth as a stoic figure recoiling at any hint of scandal.
The show’s treatment of Diana’s behavior perpetuates a narrative of victimhood, ignoring the potential role of Buckingham Palace in providing adequate security. The lack of security, leaving Diana to fend for herself with the Fayeds, echoes themes relevant to later events involving Harry and Meghan. However, the show sidesteps these connections.
Despite these shortcomings, the show attempts to give Diana the last word through fictional conversations between Charles, Diana’s ghost, and the queen. The narrative, while touching on Diana’s impact, often leans toward reverence for the monarchy rather than critically examining its role in media sensationalism.
As the series explores the legacy of Diana’s impact in its remaining episodes, the question remains whether the show has fully internalized the reality of Diana’s story.