Prince Harry ‘has no idea how he’ll be portrayed in The Crown and has no control’ despite Netflix business deal
PRINCE Harry has no idea how he will be presented in The Crown when it airs next month – even though he is in business with Netflix, a TV insider has claimed.
Executives at the streaming giant have not given the Duke Of Sussex any opportunity to comment on the editorial narrative of the Emmy winning show’s fifth and six series.
Instead, they have worked with production company Leftbank Pictures and show runner Peter Morgan on the end product.
Even though Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have a multi-million-dollar deal with Netflix, boss Ted Sanderos’s drama remains “independent and not part of their remit.”
An LA based team member at Netflix told The U.S. Sun that Harry has not seen scripts of The Crown, created by Leftbank, or been sent preview screeners.
Even if they are given a sneak peek of the episodes, no changes will be made to the fictionalized drama about the life of Harry’s parents during the 1980s and 1990s.
A key theme in series five and six will be the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, Diana’s relationships, Charles’ entanglement with Camilla Parker Bowles and William and Harry’s troubles.
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The insider said: “The world may think that Prince Harry’s deal with us means he has some control on the company’s output but it is not the case.
“He has some say in the content he produces for them, but outside of that the company remains independent.
“And one key aspect of that is The Crown.
“Harry has no control over what storylines or material Leftbank put together for The Crown.
“No-one knows whether he thought that there would be some kind of say when he came to the table, but it was made clear early on [that] The Crown has no part of his remit.
“And not only that, Harry does not have input in the scripts or narrative of the show either directly through Leftback or indirectly through Netflix.”
The source insisted: “There is no opportunity for him to send over his ideas or suggestions either.
‘EMOTIONALLY DISTURBING’
“Only the drama executive team and department chiefs have seen screeners so far, but the previews are going out in the next few days to select Netflix team members, media and associates.”
The insider added that one major storyline in the upcoming series will be Harry’s mother Princess Diana’s Panorama interview with Martin Bashir in 1995.
“That period is very sensitive for Harry and William,” they said.
“It is no secret that they were disgusted at how Bashir gained Diana’s trust and how her interview set off a bomb in their world and effectively all out war between their parents.
“Any replay of those periods will be emotionally disturbing for him to watch.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Netflix and Leftbank Pictures for comment, but did not hear back.
Harry famously boasted that he was a fan of The Crown to pal James Corden on America’s The Late Late Show in 2021.
He talked about how he streamed The Crown as a Netflix subscriber.
GOING AHEAD
Harry then continued: “I’m way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family or my wife or myself.
“Because it’s the difference between fiction, take it how you will, but this is being reported on as fact because you’re supposedly news. I have a real issue with that.”
The Crown returns on November 9.
The Sun previously reported how the fifth series will upset Prince William who is seen, along with brother Prince Harry, being caught in a psychological tug of war between their royal parents.
A TV insider said: “This couldn’t have come at a more delicate time for the new King and his Queen Consort [Camilla], particularly as they’re riding high in the minds of the public.
“There’s a sense that Netflix are muckraking over events that took place 30 to 40 years ago, but are still raw for those involved.
“The worst element for the royals is that millions of people around the world will view this series and view it less as a drama and more as a documentary.”
Netflix had considered delaying the launch date of series five out of respect for the Queen following her death last month but decided to press ahead.
