WARNING: If you’re a fan of The Crown and haven’t finished the season, there are spoilers ahead.
It’s the TV show focusing on the life of the current reigning British monarch, but a new episode of The Crown has garnered criticism from fans and historians alike.
The second season of the much-loved show about the royal family debuted on the streaming platform just three days ago and has been accused of blatantly re-writing history for the sake of a good story.
The penultimate episode of the second series shows the death of Prince Philip‘s beloved sister, 26-year-old Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark. Cecilie was killed in 1937 in a plane crash after it hit a factory chimney while flying from Germany to London with her husband and two young sons.
She was eight months pregnant with her fourth child at the time of her death. Firemen found the remains of an infant at the scene, with some suggesting the pilot had attempted a dangerous landing because Cecilie had gone into labour.
During a scene of her funeral, the Netflix drama showed Philip's father turning to him and uttering, "You're the reason we're all here burying my favourite child."
Royal historian Hugo Vickers told Daily Mail her death was "one of the worst things that ever happened" in Prince Philip's life and says the claim he played any part in his sister's death is a "monstrous lie".
LISTEN: Clare and Laura recap The Crown Season 2 on the latest episode here
On The Crown, a 16-year-old Prince Philip is due to spend a half-term with his older sister, which gives her an opportunity to avoid travelling to London for a wedding.
But when Philip punches a fellow student and must remain at his school for the holidays, his sister, terrified of flying, has no choice but to board the flight that would be her last.
"Had it not been for Philip and his indiscipline she would never have taken that flight," his father says to a young Prince Philip in the show.
"It's true, isn't it boy?"
Vickers said that the backstory was "all fiction", and that Princess Cecilie always intended to attend the wedding, and that Philip's bad behaviour had no influence over her decision to take the flight.
"I know this is not pretending to be factual but it sails very close to the wind and I think this is a particularly nasty thing to suggest," he said.
"I personally have never heard of any suggestion that Prince Philip was in any way responsible for his sister's death.
"It is very harsh and unfair to Prince Philip who is still living with this tragedy."
The show's writers, creator and director had not yet commented on why the story of Prince Philip's role in his sister's death was so twisted.
Netflix and Left Bank Pictures, the producers of the show, and Buckinham Palace have also declined to comment.
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Top Comments
The thought that anyone would twist a truth for drama and tv or movies? How shocking! They’ve always done this.
Sounds like this person hasnt seen the episode. The accusation by Philips father comes across as unwarranted and cruel and a reflection of the horribleness of the man to accuse a young son of such a misdeed. I dont know how its interpreted as an actual accusation against Philip.
I think the issue is that they have fictionalised a scenario in which it was his fault. As the historian says, Philip is still alive, and mourning for one's loved ones never really ends. It wouldn't be very nice to watch a show that suggests that others might have thought you had a hand in the death of someone you loved, even if it were couched in such a way to be sympathetic towards you. The respectful way to portray the death of people who are survived by still living people is to stick to the facts. Adding drama for the sake of ratings in this context does seem gauche.