The Crown star says royal family shouldn’t be “frightened” of season 5
Camilla star Olivia Williams noted that the show is all about the crown itself, rather than specific members of the royal family.
The upcoming fifth season of The Crown has come under particular scrutiny of late, with John Major and Judi Dench both speaking out about their concerns regarding the show's historical veracity.
Amongst their concerns were reports that scenes would depict Dominic West's Charles meeting with Jonny Lee Miller's Major to secretly scheme about ousting the Queen from the throne.
However, speaking with RadioTimes.com and other press ahead of the new season, Olivia Williams, who is taking on the role of Camilla Parker Bowles, said that the palace shouldn't be frightened of what the Netflix series portrays, as the show is about the crown first and foremost - rather than individual members of the royal family.
"I think what's very exciting about the season and a show that's had this amount of space to mature is that Peter [Morgan] is now writing standalone episodes and he writes an episode that's about divorce in almost a philosophical way, and how it affects a couple who aren't in the public eye," she said.
"And I don't think it's something that the palace should be frightened of because he's very careful to always turn these events back to how they affect the crown. The series is called The Crown, not Charles or Diana or the Queen. It's about the crown. And so I think it's both interesting and philosophical and relevant to that."
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The Crown's fifth season is set to depict events from the 1990s, meaning it is expected to grapple with the dissolution of Charles's marriage to Diana, played in the new season by West and Elizabeth Debicki respectively.
Williams's comments reflect similar statements made by the show's creator Morgan, who recently said that while the new season will have "painful memories" for Charles, it "doesn't mean that, with the benefit of hindsight, history will be unkind to him, or the monarchy".
Morgan added that "the show certainly isn't" unkind to Charles, saying: "I have enormous sympathy for a man in his position — indeed, a family in their position. People are more understanding and compassionate than we expect sometimes."
The photo below of Elizabeth Debicki as Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, was taken exclusively for Radio Times magazine by Jay Brooks. Read our full interviews with The Crown stars in this week’s issue, out now.
Additional reporting by Abby Robinson.
You can watch seasons 1-4 of The Crown right now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
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.
