The crown has returned with its sixth and final season, continuing its tradition of stirring controversy. While earlier seasons received significant praise for their entertainment value, this season faced quite critical reviews. The series has a history of being at odds with the royal narrative and has even faced accusations of factual misrepresentation in the past. In a similar vein, this season unfolds another chapter of the royal family—the love affair of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed—presenting a storyline that contradicts certain aspects of the official account of Prince Harry.

The relationship between Prince Diana’s rumored boyfriend and Prince Harry in The Crown contradicted the narrative of the Duke’s memoir Spare. 

What was the equation of Prince Harry and Dodi Al Fayed?

According to the Netflix original, Princess Diana’s sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, did not approve of their mother’s relationship with Dodi Al Fayed. They felt uneasy about the affair and inquired if their mother intended to marry Fayed. However, an excerpt from Prince Harry’s memoir painted a different picture. It suggested that the brothers were okay with their mother’s relationship with Fayed, as they simply wanted to see her happy. 

Prince Harry did not directly mention Fayed’s name in his memoir, however, he did talk about the July 1997 vacation on the Fayed yacht in Saint Tropez. He referred to Fayed as his mother’s “new friend”. Though Prince Harry found Fayed a tad “cheeky”, he did not entirely dislike him. Such alleged factual inaccuracy and exaggerations contributed to the royals’ disapproval, especially Prince William, of the Netflix series. 

Ahead of the release of the final season, a source revealed Prince William’s thoughts about The Crown. 

Prince William’s thoughts on Netflix’s The Crown

There have been numerous reports suggesting that the royal family does not approve of Netflix’s representation of their history. According to insiders, the Prince of Wales was deeply upset with Netflix and in extension with his brother. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $100 million deal with Netflix reportedly angered Prince William, as per a source’s statement to The Daily Beast last month. The source also shared how Prince William would never watch The Crown as “he will be totally sickened by it”. 

Prince William highly disapproved of Netflix’s portrayal of Princess Diana. He felt that the platform had been “ruthlessly” exploiting the royals for their own benefit. Even King Charles expressed his disapproval of the way The Crown portrayed him while attending a multi-faith event in 2021, as per the Daily Mail. This alleged clash between the royals and Netflix increases the ambiguity around whose version of facts fans should lean on. 

What do you think about the contradiction of facts? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!