The Crown viewers are reduced to tears watching the final series which depicts Princess Diana’s death and praise Elizabeth Debicki’s ‘award-worthy’ performance
- The final series of Peter Morgan’s royal drama debuts on Netflix today
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The Crown fans have admitted that they were reduced to tears watching the sixth and final series of the Netflix royal drama.
The first four episodes landed on the streaming platform on Thursday and fans rushed to watch it, ahead of the second and final part’s release on December 14.
The third episode recreated the car crash that killed Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in Paris in 1997, showing the moments until the car entered the Pont de l’Alma tunnel.
And viewers admitted they were reduced to tears watching the harrowing episodes, which follow the eight weeks leading up to Princess Diana’s tragic death.
They took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their emotional reactions to the scenes as they were left devastated at the hard-hitting recreation.
Emotional: The Crown fans have admitted that they were reduced to tears watching the sixth and final series of the Netflix royal drama
Many viewers also praised Elizabeth Debicki’s ‘award-worthy’ performance as Diana and called for Dominic West to be nominated for awards for his portrayal of King Charles.
One wrote: ‘Just finished the first part of the final season of #TheCrown and I am in tears. Give Elizabeth Debiki all the awards.’
Another gushed: ‘I’m actually crying. Elizabeth Debicki’s potrayal of Princess Diana is haunting. I’m moved. Well done to every single person that put this production together.’
A third said: ‘Episode 4 of the new season of #TheCrown is absolutely heartbreaking. Yes, it is THAT episode and omg, I was crying the entire time. If Dominic West wins an Emmy for his role of the now King Charles, it will be for this episode.’
A fourth tweeted: ‘The way u can feel the pain in this,’ and another said: ‘Just finished watching #TheCrown and my face is swollen after crying.’
The opening moments of the series show the moments leading up to the car crash that killed Diana and Dodi (Khalid Abdalla), before flashing back to eight weeks earlier.
The third episode then arrives back at the tragic moment and sees Diana and Dodi get into a car outside the Ritz Hotel in Paris to return to the Egyptian film producer’s apartment.
The car then accelerates through the streets of the French capital before entering the tunnel at high speed, and viewers sobbed watching the harrowing scenes.
Tragic: The first four episodes landed on the streaming platform on Thursday, and the third recreates the car crash that killed Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in Paris in 1997
Praise: They took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their emotional reactions to the scenes and praised Elizabeth Debicki’s ‘award-worthy’ performance as Diana
Netflix stressed throughout production of series six that viewers will not see the very moment of the crash which killed Diana and Dodi Fayed. But the episode does play an audio of the fatal incident.
The depiction of events leading up to the very moment the crash happened will likely cause fresh anguish for the royal family in covering such a sensitive subject.
Speaking in a corridor ahead of their ill-fated final journey, Dodi asks Henri Paul – the deputy head of security at the Ritz – if the pair are safe to travel.
Speaking in French, Henri explains that two staffers have taken a decoy vehicle, so the coast is clear for Diana and Dodi.
‘No one will see us leave, trust me,’ he tells Dodi.
But as the couple walk out to the Mercedes-Benz W140 they are flanked by paparazzi.
Ominous music then plays as the driver asks Diana if she’s okay, before Dodi tell Henri – driving the vehicle – ‘allez’.
After the pair get into the car, very few words are spoken, but Diana and Dodi hold and squeeze each other’s hands.
The car begins to speed through the streets and passes a pedestrian who is walking his dog – who looks a little taken aback by the speed of the vehicle.
Recreation: Netflix stressed that viewers will not see the very moment of the crash which killed Diana and Dodi Fayed. But the episode does play an audio of the fatal incident
Lead-up: The third episode then arrives back at the tragic moment and sees Diana and Dodi get into a car outside the Ritz Hotel in Paris to return to the Egyptian film producer’s apartment
Netflix has always insisted viewers would not see the crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel which killed Dodi and Henri Paul on impact and took Diana’s life a few hours later – however, the crash can be heard right at the end of episode three.
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The series goes as far as to show the car entering the Pont de l’Alma tunnel as it speeds past the dog walker, in a clip that may shock some viewers.
The final series also depicts the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death as the royal family are told the news while at Balmoral.
In a moving scene, an aide breaks the news to the Queen (Imelda Staunton), Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce) and Prince Charles (Dominic West) who are huddled around the television watching the coverage of the crash.
No words can be heard while the aide delivers the news – however Charles, visibly devastated, breaks down in tears on the sofa.
The Queen while stoic, can be seen holding back tears with a solemn look on her face.
Elsewhere in the first episodes of the final season, Princess Diana is depicted as anxious and frustrated on the last day she’s alive as she spends the day in Pris with Dodi. In one scene, she expresses her frustration as she tries to call her sons at Balmoral and is told she has ‘missed them’.
The clip begins with Diana walking out of a car into the Ritz hotel with boyfriend Dodi Fayed by her side. She is swarmed by paparazzi.
Loss: In the last moments of their lives, Dodi is shown in the back of the car with Princess Diana
Devastating: The fourth episode shows the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles being told Diana has died in the car crash – at which point Charles breaks down in tears
Funeral: Earl Spencer, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles follow the coffin to the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales on September 6, 1997
She then steps inside the hotel, where she calls Balmoral to speak to William and Harry.
‘Balmoral Castle ,’ the operator says.
‘Oh, it’s Diana calling for the boys,’ the Princess replies.
‘You’ve just missed them,’ the aide adds. ‘The princes waited for your call but have gone back out again. Maybe try again at dinner time’.
Diana then looks extremely anguished, silently mouths ‘f**k’ and scrunches up her face in anger. However, she does get to speak to the boys later on.
Other newly released clips include Charles’ despair over telling William and Harry their mother has died and Diana telling Dodi she’s a ‘persona non-grata’ at Balmoral.
The show will also depict the last time Prince William and Prince Harry spoke to their mother – but it will not be a true reflection of the conversation.
Emotional: The show will also depict the last time Prince William and Prince Harry spoke to their mother – but it will not be a true reflection of the conversation. Rufus Kampa is pictured as Prince William
Family: William and Harry are pictured with Diana in the months before her death
It comes after Princess Diana’s former butler claims series six of Netflix’s The Crown ‘has gone too far’ by recreating the final months of the late royal’s life.
Paul Burrell, 65, served as a footman for the late Queen before working for Diana as a butler for 10 years until her death in Paris in 1997.
Speaking to The Mirror, he said the current series is too close to recent history, thus opening old wounds for Diana’s close friends and family, including Prince William , 41, and Prince Harry , 39.
‘It still feels macabre to show the vehicle in which she died, it’s just gone too far,’ Paul said. ‘I find the whole scene of Diana’s death portrayed in a fictional TV show to be grotesque.’
Paul- who famously claimed he was Diana’s ‘rock’ following her acrimonious 1996 divorce from King Charles – urged viewers to watch The Crown with caution.
Paul, who believes the series has gone ‘too far’, urged viewers to protect the late princess’ legacy rather than fixate on her last moments.
Talking on ITV’s Lorraine show this morning, Burrell further shared his apprehension about the show, and admitted he is unable to watch the ‘graphic’ series.
He said: ‘I can’t watch that [series six of The Crown] it’s too graphic and too much. It’s going to upset a lot of people. I find this very difficult this series I don’t know if I can watch it.’
Criticism: Former butler to Princess Diana (left), Paul Burrell (right) has slammed Netflix’s final series of The Crown. Above, the pair are pictured in London in 1994
Paul added: ‘I can watch the first few series because it’s so long ago, but now it’s too soon.
‘I am going to be critical. I do think the Princess was misunderstood. The Diana I knew was a fighter and she fought for her boys.’
But it wasn’t just Princess Diana that Paul believes has been misrepresented by the show.
‘I knew the Queen very well and I know she would not want to be portrayed like that’, he said.
‘She was warm kind loving gran, and she was the beating heart of our nation. I think she has been misrepresented.’
Friends will watch The Crown before Prince Harry to warn him of any scenes that might re-traumatise him, source says (and William just won’t watch)
Prince Harry will have a ‘sensitivity viewer’ watch The Crown’s depiction of his last call with his mother Princess Diana to ‘save him’ from traumatic content, an insider has claimed.
The first four episodes of the final season will show a dramatised version of the lead-up to and the aftermath of Diana’s death, including the Princess of Wales’s last meeting with her sons.
But a newly released clip from the Netflix series shows them missing a phone call at Balmoral from Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, on the day before she died.
The new season will also show the imagined last conversation the Princes had with their mother as well as the moment they were told of their mother’s death.
Despite knowing the four episodes will focus mostly on Diana’s death, Harry is still likely to watch the series. He previously said he watches and reportedly even fact-checks the show.
An insider has now told the Telegraph they ‘may watch it first in order to save him from anything he may not wish to see’.
But Prince William is unlikely to watch the series, after he previously expressed frustration over the show glossing over the circumstances surrounding Diana’s Panorama interview.
Newly released clips from The Crown include Charles’ despair over telling William and Harry their mother has died and Diana telling Dodi she’s a ‘persona non-grata’ at Balmoral.
Royals: Despite knowing the four episodes will focus mostly on Diana’s death, Harry (pictured) is still likely to watch the series
Grief: Newly released clips from The Crown include Charles’ despair over telling William and Harry their mother has died and Diana telling Dodi (pictured together in The Crown) she’s a ‘persona non-grata’ at Balmoral
The show will also depict the last time Prince William and Prince Harry spoke to their mother – but it will not be a true reflection of the conversation.
In episode four, Diana is depicted as frustrated while in Paris with Dodi, and desperate to return to the UK to see her sons.
After missing one opportunity to speak with them on the phone, Diana finally manages to have a call with Prince William and Prince Harry, where they ask her if she’s going to marry the son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.
Although it is true that Prince William and Prince Harry shared a phone call with their mother on the last day she was alive, their recollections of the call do not reflect the Netflix series’ depiction.
Speaking in a 2017 documentary Diana: Our Mother, the Princes discussed for the first time the details of their ‘desperately rushed’ final call with the late royal.
Recalling the chat, they expressed their regret that they were desperate to go back outside and play with their cousins, who were also at Balmoral.
Harry said: ‘I can’t really, necessarily, remember what I said. But all I do remember is probably, you know, regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was.
‘And if I’d known that was the last time I was going to speak to my mother – the things I would have said to her.’
William said of the call: ‘Harry and I were in a desperate rush to say goodbye, you know, “see you later”.’
Neither of the two has revealed Diana’s precious final words to them.
The emotional first four episodes cover the tragic car crash in Paris that killed Princess Diana in August 1997 – alongside her lover Dodi and their chauffeur Henri Paul – and the Royal Family’s reaction to it, as well as the summer holiday Diana and Dodi enjoyed in St Tropez prior to the tragedy.
Emotional: The emotional first four episodes cover the tragic car crash in Paris that killed Princess Diana in August 1997 and the Royal Family’s reaction to it
For sensitivity reasons the exact moment of Diana’s death is not re-created, but there are controversial scenes in which Charles tenderly converses with an imaginary Diana in the cabin of the royal plane as he accompanies her body from Paris to London, and later when she also appears to the Queen.
Critics who have seen these scenes called them ‘farcical’ for portraying Diana as a ghost, but series creator Peter Morgan has insisted that wasn’t the intention.
‘I never imagined it as Diana’s ghost in the traditional sense,’ he told Variety magazine. ‘It was her continuing to live vividly in the minds of those she has left behind.’
The final six episodes of the series, which will be available in December, will see the family moving on from Diana’s death and cover William and Kate’s budding romance at St Andrews, finishing with Charles and Camilla’s wedding in April 2005.
Netflix boss Ted Sarandos has explained why the series ends there. ‘It was the cut-off to keep it historical, not journalistic,’ he said. ‘By stopping almost 20 years before the present day, it’s dignified.’
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