According to his friends, Prince Charles will never watch The Crown. Photo / Getty Images
According to his friends, Prince Charles will never watch The Crown. Photo / Getty Images
The Prince of Wales has refused to watch The Crown and is purposely distancing himself from it, royal sources revealed on Sunday, as friends said it was "terrible" that his name was being "dragged through the mud".
The new series of the lavish Netflix drama, released on Sunday, sees the arrival of Diana, Princess of Wales, and does not hold back as it rakes over her fledgling relationship with Prince Charles, whom it makes clear is very much still in love with Camilla Parker Bowles.
As their marriage becomes increasingly toxic, the Prince is portrayed in a cold, harsh light, withholding the love and affection Diana desperately needed, jealous of her popularity and ultimately treating her with utter contempt.
Friends of the Prince on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the drama, accusing producers of "trolling on a Hollywood budget".
They accused Netflix of exploiting the royal family's pain for financial gain and said it was "fiction presented as fact".
One told the Mail on Sunday: "This is drama and entertainment for commercial ends being made with no regard to the actual people involved who are having their lives hijacked and exploited.
"It's dragging up things that happened during very difficult times 25 or 30 years ago without a thought for anyone's feelings. That isn't right or fair, particularly when so many of the things being depicted don't represent the truth."
Royal courtiers are also said to be furious that the prince's name is being besmirched, taking attention away from his work.
Charles is said to be 'frustrated' as the show 'drags his name through the mud". Photo / Netflix
One told The Telegraph: "Many are incredibly frustrated and angry that his name is being dragged through the mud. They think it's terrible."
One source said on Sunday that the prince did not watch The Crown and was unlikely to even be aware that a new series had been released.
"He has absolutely no view of The Crown and has never watched it," they said.
"He purposely doesn't watch it and would rather distance himself from the whole thing."
A palace insider was quoted as saying: "There is no sense of telling carefully nuanced stories - it's all very two-dimensional.
According to his friends, Prince Charles will never watch The Crown. Photo / Getty Images
"The public shouldn't be fooled into thinking this is an accurate portrayal of what really happened."
The Duke of Cambridge is also understood to be "none too pleased" with the portrayal of his late mother, which includes her suffering with bulimia, and believes both parents are being exploited for financial gain.
The wisdom of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have signed a multi-million dollar deal with Netflix, has also been called into question, with friends pointing out that The Crown is one of the streaming giant's most profitable shows.
A spokesperson for Prince Charles declined to comment.
