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The Crown's upcoming sixth and final season will feature "distressing scenes." These are likely to "bring up old wounds" for Prince Harry and Prince William over the death of their mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.
Netflix's hit royal drama will pick up the story just days before Diana's death from injuries sustained in a high-speed car crash. The 36-year-old was traveling through Paris with her then-boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.
Season five of the show was plagued with controversy surrounding the depiction of the breakdown in Diana and King Charles' marriage. It led to calls for Netflix to place a disclaimer on each episode, informing viewers that the events portrayed are not based wholly on fact.
The streaming giant resisted calls led by veteran British actors including Dame Judi Dench, who wrote a letter to The Times of London on the issue. Netflix did add a note to promotional material, describing the show as a "fictional dramatization," "based on real events."
Season six covers a time period in the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II during which Diana's death happened. So, The Crown's producers face a "unique challenge" on how to depict the tragedy sensitively and accurately, entertainment expert and founder of MarkMeets, Mark Boardman, told Newsweek.
"Having personally followed the lives of the royals for over 30 years, it's hard to imagine a show like The Crown that doesn't include the crucial events leading to Princess Diana's death and the aftermath of publicity that shrouds what really happened," Boardman said. "And while her legacy is much more than just this historic tragedy, balancing accurate storytelling with sensitivity surrounding her death presents a unique challenge."
Production shots were captured in Britain last week. These revealed that the show has recreated the wreckage of the Mercedes car in which Diana was traveling at the point of impact with a structural pillar in Paris' Pont de l'Alma tunnel on August 31, 1997.
This has sparked backlash in the British media. The depiction has been called insensitive, despite Netflix noting in 2022 that, when it comes to recreating the events of Diana's death, "the exact moment of the crash impact will not be shown."
However, as Boardman argued, the show's depiction of the event was inevitable and, for many, will be one of the most-anticipated parts of the entire series.
"For The Crown, distressing scenes are particularly difficult for filmmakers to portray, especially considering the sensitivity of Princess Diana's death," Boardman said.
"However, the show will draw in a new audience, eager to see how the high-profile drama will be handled and whether unanswered questions will come to light," Boardman added. "This is the most crucial and memorable part of the drama for many of us who already have our own theories."
Here, though, the show may find its subject-matter upsetting to the princess' two sons, William and Harry. The pair have rarely spoken about their thoughts on depictions of their mother's death in popular media.
"Managing expectations of all sides is a no-win situation. For William and Harry, the re-telling of their mother's death will undoubtedly bring up old wounds with distressing scenes," Boardman said.
"Prince Harry admitted in his memoir that he still does not really know if he fully believes the accepted police theory surrounding the crash, though looking at all the reports, facts, reviewing witness statements, the expected attention boost will see both praise and critical response.
"Yet, with no expense spared and each scene meticulously reviewed, the real challenge for Peter Morgan [creator] and his production team will be to strive to create the most accurate depiction to date and carefully set the tones and direct the cast," Boardman added.
The actress playing Diana in the final season of The Crown is Australian-born Elizabeth Debicki. She won praise for her work on the show's fifth season, released in November 2022.
Production photography has shown that, as well as the princess' final moments, her funeral will also feature on The Crown. The actors playing the adolescent William and Harry will be shown walking behind their mother's coffin.
The series is also filming scenes at the University of St. Andrews, the educational institution in Scotland. This was where William first met Kate Middleton and where their romance started.
No official release date has yet been given for season six of The Crown.
Newsweek emailed Netflix and representatives of Prince William and Prince Harry for comment.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more