The fifth season of The Crown, Netflix’s show that is inspired by true events but should definitely be taken with a grain of salt, just landed on Netflix this week, and a lot of people have a lot to say, and as many as five eggs to throw at King Charles.
Imelda Staunton portrays the Queen in season five of the hit series, which chronicles the Royals from 1991 to 1997, a time when the family was under intense scrutiny. (Not that it’s gotten much easier since then, as Netflix’s portrayal of the family has also been bashed over the years.) But Staunton says that hesitation is expected. “I feel it’s understandable that people are feeling sensitive because of recent events. There’s no doubt about it,” Staunton told EW. Even though season five wrapped in the spring, the cast has been working on the upcoming sixth season, which has been heavily criticized since the Queen’s death.
Staunton continued, “We finished filming this season six months ago. If this was coming out two years ago, there wouldn’t be all of this going on. So I think there’s a sensitivity and there’s not a lot we can do about that. I think one would like to feel that people would recognize over all the seasons that Peter Morgan has written, the amount of respect he has for this family, and the amount of integrity he uses in order to write these, yes, imagined scenes that are hung around real events. I don’t think there’s a lot we can do or say.”
Staunton isn’t the first actress to portray the queen and certainly won’t be the last. Peter Morgan, the show’s creator, confirmed that Helen Mirren was the top pick for Elizabeth after her award-winning portrayal in The Queen. After Mirren turned it down, Staunton stepped in to play the historical figure, who passed away in September.
The criticism from both viewers and the Royals had been bubbling for months, and the backlash got so bad that Netflix added a warning before the season five trailer. Other cast members, like Jonathan Pryce, who portrays Prince Philip in the series, don’t seem to care what people think.
“I just find it very disappointing that a handful of people, and it is a handful of people, are being critical of this,” Pryce told EW. “I mean, they say it’s hurtful, unjust dangerous, none of those things I see in this production. It’s certainly been one of the best working experiences of a 50-year career, and I’m so proud of it, and the episodes I’ve seen are joyful, and I’m looking forward to filming the rest of season 6.”
On the other hand, Prince Harry seems to enjoy the show a lot, so there’s that!
Season five of The Crown is now streaming on Netflix.