The Crown is accused of ‘retrofitting Harry and Meghan’s story to fit a plot about Charles and Diana’ in new Mail podcast unveiling final season of hit Netflix show

The Crown has been accused of adapting Harry and Meghan’s story to fit a plot about King Charles and Princess Diana, in a new Mail podcast.

In the first episode of The Crown: Fact or Fiction, The Mail’s royal experts debunk fabricated details in the latest series of the hit Netflix show about the royal family, which will feature Diana’s death in 1997.

Mail writer Robert Hardman and Mail on Sunday’s Royal Correspondent Natasha Livingstone unravel a conspiracy surrounding the 50th birthday of the future Queen Camilla.

It portrays a lunch between Diana and then Prime Minister Tony Blair, as the Princess of Wales begins her post-royal life in July 1997, with Mr Blair reporting to Queen Elizabeth that Diana wants to take on an official role for the palace.

“As a divorcee – and no longer an HRH – Diana is now learning the difference between being officially in the family and being out,” says the queen, played by Imelda Staunton.

In the final season, The Queen, played by Imedla Staunton, tells Tony Blair: ‘As a divorcee – and no longer an HRH – Diana is now learning the difference between being officially in the family and being outside of it’

The Daily Mail’s Robert Hardman has accused the makers of The Crown of ‘heavily fitting the story of Harry and Meghan back into the story of Diana and Charles’. Pictured: Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki play Charles and Diana

Hardman says in the podcast: ‘It is clear that this largely fits the story of Harry and Meghan into the story of Diana and Charles.

“We do know that this lunch took place, I believe it was at Cherie Blair’s invitation, not Tony Blair’s.”

In 2022, Prince Harry revealed in his Netflix documentary that he had initially asked for a ‘half in, half out’ arrangement when negotiating the terms of his and Meghan’s departure from royal life.

He added that the royal family had made it clear this was not an option.

Hardman said Alistair Campbell, Blair’s former spin doctor, was an adviser on the series and so could have advised on the former prime minister’s side of the story.

One of the Netflix series’ most controversial moments, dogged by criticism of historical inaccuracy, is its depiction of the car crash that killed Diana in Paris.

While it’s not shown directly on screen, both experts agree that while shocking, it’s not being treated in bad taste.

The first episode of the sixth series of The Crown then shows a row within the royal family over whether or not the Queen will attend the 50th birthday party of Charles’ new partner, Camilla. It’s an occasion where Diana is also accused of bringing Princes William and Harry to Saint-Tropez, France, at the invitation of Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed.

The saga is one of many storylines that, according to Hardman, are completely fictional.

“We see them taking some pretty big liberties with the truth,” he says.

‘The idea that the Prince of Wales wanted the Queen at this party is for the birds.

In 2022, Prince Harry revealed in his bombshell Netflix documentary that he had initially asked for a ‘half in, half out’ arrangement when negotiating the terms of his and Meghan’s departure from royal life. Pictured: The couple during their engagement announcement in 2017

In one episode, Blair is portrayed meeting with the Queen who is lobbying for her to have Diana play a bigger role

Blair greeted the Queen in 2004 as he arrived for the Award for Enterprise at Buckingham Palace

“Right now they’re just trying to normalize the relationship. There is absolutely no way the Queen is coming to the party.’

He added: ‘The idea of ​​strategically turning it into a major royal event was just complete nonsense.’

Court circulars at the time revealed that the Queen would have been in Derbyshire on the day of the party – something Charles would have been aware of months in advance.

However, other elements of the scenes rang truer, including when Camilla told Charles to just let their relationship happen “in its own time.”

The plot about Diana’s budding romance with Al-Fayed’s son, Dodi, also broadly follows the true chronology, showing that they met in Saint-Tropez when Dodi was engaged to another woman, the experts say in the podcast .

One detail that is said to be particularly evocative is the music, such as Diana and William singing along to Chumbawamba in the car, as their choice of music at the time was reportedly ‘more Radio 2 than Radio 1’.

The upcoming series on Netflix is ​​expected to see more controversial decisions about how events and people are portrayed, with the royal family reportedly fearful of the prospect.

The row over historical accuracy reached such a height in 2020 that then culture secretary Oliver Dowden said he planned to write to Netflix and ask for a “health warning” at the start of each episode so viewers are aware it is a work of fiction.