The global phenomenon that is Netflix’s The Crown has captivated audiences with its dramatized take on the lives of the British royal family since it first aired in 2016.
But while fans can’t seem to get enough of the show, the royals themselves have remained notoriously tight-lipped about what they really think of seeing their lives play out on screen.
What has Prince Harry said about ‘The Crown’?
One exception is Prince Harry, who has opened up in several interviews over the past few years to share his thoughts on the acclaimed series.
While other members of the royal family tend to avoid commenting on artistic depictions of themselves, Harry has provided a rare insight into how he views the show.
Speaking with James Corden in 2021, Harry made it clear he recognizes The Crown is a fictionalized account, not a documentary. “It’s loosely based on the truth,” he said. “Of course it’s not strictly accurate.”
However, Harry went on to say the show does a good job of capturing the pressures of royal life. In his words, “It gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle, what the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else, what can come from that.”
Harry explained he is much more comfortable with the fictionalized version of events in The Crown than he is with the endless media speculation about his family’s private lives.
As he told Corden, “I have a real issue with that.” referring to the media reporting unconfirmed information as fact.
In another interview with Dax Shepard, Harry reiterated that royals are told from a young age they just have to accept inaccurate reporting as part of public life.
But he finds fictional portrayals less troublesome. “It’s like ‘but what if it’s not true,’ yeah right and it’s like ‘well just don’t show them that you care because if you show them that you care then they’re going to do it more,” he told Shepard.
More recently, speaking to Stephen Colbert in January 2023, Harry confirmed he has watched both the early and more recent seasons of The Crown.
When asked if he is “tempted to fact check it,” Harry replied, “Yes, I do actually,” explaining historical accuracy is very important to him.
While Harry recognizes the show takes artistic license, he seems to appreciate that it aims to capture the essence of royal life.
He accepts The Crown as a mostly well-intentioned fictional portrayal, unlikeinvasive media speculation about his family.
As The Crown prepares for its sixth and final season this year, Harry’s comments offer insight into the disconnect between the public perception of royalty and the family’s lived experiences.
He reminds viewers that while The Crown purports to portray real people and events, Ultimately, it is fiction, not the whole of reality.