Dame Judi Dench has some harsh criticism for The Crown, dubbing the Netflix series as “crude sensationalism”.
In a strongly worded letter to The Times, the former James Bond star took issue with the reported historical inaccuracies present in the Emmy-winning show, describing it as “hurtful”.
“The closer the drama comes to our present times, the more freely art seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism,” she wrote, before expressing concern that a “significant number of viewers may take its version of history as being wholly true”.
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Netflix has previously rejected calls to include a disclaimer for The Crown, saying it had always been presented as a drama broadly based on fact.
Dench, who was recently seen in Belfast, reiterated her wish for the streaming service to include such a warning, writing: “Despite this week stating publicly that The Crown has always been a ‘fictionalised drama’, the programme-makers have resisted all calls for them to carry a disclaimer at the start of each episode… the time has come for Netflix to reconsider.”
Despite describing herself as a “great believer in artistic freedom,” Dench took aim at several elements of the upcoming fifth season, which is due to be released on November 9.
Related: The Crown season 5 trailer reveals first look at new Princess Diana in action
“Given some of the wounding suggestions apparently contained in the new series – that King Charles plotted for his mother to abdicate, for example, or once suggested his mother’s parenting was so deficient that she might have deserved a jail sentence – this is both cruelly unjust to the individuals and damaging to the institution they represent,” she wrote.
Digital Spy has reached out to Netflix for comment.
The upcoming season sees Imelda Staunton take over from Olivia Colman in the role of Queen Elizabeth II, with Jonathan Pryce replacing Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip. Lesley Manville, Jonny Lee Miller and Elizabeth Debicki will also join the cast for the final two seasons.
The Crown season 5 will premiere on November 9, 2022, while seasons 1-4 are now streaming on Netflix. Seasons 1-3 are also available on DVD and Blu-ray.
![The Crown - Season 1 & 2 [DVD] [2018]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1605277344-41cTH2ev65L.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "The Crown - Season 1 & 2 [DVD] [2018]")
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Left Bank Pictures The Crown - Season 1 & 2 [DVD] [2018]
Blink Publishing The Crown: The Inside History (volume 1) by Robert Lacey
![The Crown - Season 03 [DVD] [2020]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1605277496-41WxcDS9veL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "The Crown - Season 03 [DVD] [2020]")
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Left Bank Pictures The Crown - Season 03 [DVD] [2020]
Blink Publishing The Crown: The Inside History (Volume 2) by Robert Lacey
![The Crown Season 4 [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1635170597-41sACUAfvpL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "The Crown Season 4 [DVD]")
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Left Bank Pictures The Crown Season 4 [DVD]
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
