No, “The Crown” Doesn’t Need a Disclaimer That It’s Fiction
Who would believe it anyway?
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen;
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us . . .
And please, God, please, make her look good on Netflix.
Since 2016, the streaming service has been home to The Crown, a series about the life and reign of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Over 73 million households have watched the series; mine is one of them. Season 4 just dropped, and it looks like it will be even better than the first three. I can’t wait to dive in and laugh, cry, maybe throw pillows at the screen.
One emotion I don’t expect to feel: confusion.
The show is fiction. Historical fiction, yes: the characters were, and are, actual people. But as I watch, I know what I’m seeing is artifice based on events, not the events themselves.
This puts me in a minority, apparently.
British Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden thinks The Crown should include a disclaimer emphasizing its untruth. Earl Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, agrees: “People see a program like…
