Netflix Is Pushing Back At Requests For ‘The Crown’ To Add A ‘Fiction’ Disclaimer After Ruffling British Feathers

The Crown played nice, for the most part, with the British Royals for three seasons, but all of that ended (in a dramatic fashion) with the fourth season, which sh*ts all over the fairy tale, thereby raising voices on the other side of the pond. That’s because this season has awakened a brand new generation to the ill-fated marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, which (of course) ended very badly. And some people aren’t happy to see Charles not only portrayed as a cad who ran to his mistress before and after his marriage, but also as a tantrum-throwing man who scowled over the public’s adoration of his wife.

Following Season 4’s arrival, whispers indicated that the Royals were steamed over the Charles and Diana business. British culture minister Oliver Dowden quickly rang the alarm to ask for a “fiction” disclaimer while stating, “I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact.” Well, Netflix has made their perspective clear. Via Deadline, there shall be no disclaimer, for the streaming service believes that its viewers are smart enough to judge fact vs. “fiction” on their own:

“We have always presented The Crown as a drama – and we have every confidence our members understand it’s a work of fiction that’s broadly based on historical events. As a result we have no plans – and see no need – to add a disclaimer.”

Seems clear enough. For what it’s worth, one of the first individuals that came forward to fuss over this season was Princess Diana’s brother, who expressed his desire for everyone to remember that this is a dramatized work of fiction. He only wishes to honor Diana’s memory, and perhaps he wasn’t thrilled to see the semi-graphic portrayal of Diana’s anxiety-exacerbated eating disorder portrayed onscreen. No matter the source of the request, though, Netflix is standing firm.