Royal drama The Crown returned for its sixth season last month, with the first four episodes dropping at once, and the next six expected to arrive on 14th December in a second part.
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Over the past couple of seasons, the series has been met by a more mixed critical reception than previous outings, with some critics calling elements of the most recent episodes "clumsy" and "crass".
Now, Dominic West, who has played Charles in seasons 5 and 6, has responded to some of the more negative reviews, saying that he finds them "quite hurtful".
West said: "I should avoid them [reviews]. When I'm on stage, if it's a theatre review, I do. But no, with these ones, I tend to read them all as they come out and then go to bed for two days in deep depression."
Dominic West as Prince Charles in The Crown. Netflix
He continued: "It does affect me. I think it affects all of us. To me, the criticism [that] seems to be most [prominent] is that we're all a bit bored of this now, and that's quite hurtful after you put in so much work, you know?"
The next run of episodes is set to dramatise the meeting of Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as the death of Princess Margaret and the marriage of Charles and Camilla.
Olivia Williams, who plays Camilla, previously teased how the series will come to an end, saying: "I still maintain, again through the script and what my impression is, that Camilla wasn't hungry for power or thrones or crowns, but that she could see how important acceptance was to Charles, that he needed approval from his family, and particularly from his mother, for Camilla.
"And to see that denied in someone you love is very hard, to see them look for approval from their parents and not get it.
"So, it was building to this tremendous moment, in the very last episode, in the very last moments of the last episode, when the Queen finally accepts Camilla and is warm and complimentary to her."
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
