A lot of people fell out of love with The Crown last season, with the way Peter Morgan handled Diana specifically. Morgan can be an incisive and even ruthless dramatist of royal history, but it definitely felt like he caved into pressure from now-King Charles’s office and the royal establishment. The thing is, even in the most mildly historical telling of Diana’s story, the Windsors come across as out-of-touch sadists. While Morgan hasn’t done justice to Diana’s story whatsoever, the fact that he’s even attempted to tell a more neutral, objective narrative has got the royalists spitting with anger. If left to their own devices, the Windsors would co-opt and twist Diana’s story for their own purposes entirely. I guess what I’m saying is that I’m still going to watch Season 6, but I’ll complain about it later. As will the royalists.
Season 6 will deal, in part, with Diana’s 1997 death and the aftermatch for the Windsors. Peter Morgan apparently didn’t have confidence in Imelda Staunton and Dominic West to simply act like QEII and Charles were being “haunted” by Diana. Morgan decided to actually bring Elizabeth Debicki back in some scenes to play Diana’s ghost. Literal spectre at the feast, Shakespearean stuff, Peter Morgan.
Netflix’s decision to allow Princess Diana’s ghost to appear in front of her ex-husband Prince Charles and the late Queen in The Crown has been slammed by royal experts as ‘profoundly tasteless’ and ‘absolutely deplorable’. Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, will have an emotional reconciliation with a grieving Charles, played by Dominic West, in the sixth and final series of the show.
She then appears in phantom form again to Queen Elizabeth II, played by Imelda Staunton, as they discuss funeral arrangements with Charles – with her appearance seemingly reducing the Queen to tears in the series, which will air from next month.
But royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that ‘the idea that they have even contemplated Diana as a ghost seems absolutely weird’, particularly considering the controversial elements already swirling around the show. He also said Charles would stay silent on the portrayal, but Princes William and Harry could speak out. Brand and culture expert Nick Ede added that the brothers could be ‘appalled’ by the depiction of their late mother, and it would be ‘quite triggering’.
Mr Fitzwilliams said: ‘It is going to be a controversial series any ways with what they are already showing – the Panorama documentary, her death and the funeral – and in my opinion it should never have made this final series in the first place. The whole idea that (show creator) Peter Morgan has scripted ghostly appearances by Diana is utterly tasteless. It is pitiful that someone with his skills has reduced what is undoubtedly a tragedy to something that he knows perfectly well will be controversial. The idea that he has scripted a ghostly figure of the mother of Prince William and Harry is obviously tasteless and the whole concept, whatever the ghost says or does, seems utterly bizarre.’
You know what? Considering that the royal experts are already lining up to malign Ghost Diana is enough to make me defend it. Morgan is dramatizing what many of us have already felt all along – that Diana truly is haunting these dreadful people, that her spirit is joyful and full of light and laughter as she watches her garbage ex-husband f–k up the job he waited for his entire life. The moment her oldest son called her paranoid, Ghost Diana said “you know what, give him ashy skin and take the rest of his hair.” Ghost Diana is the one ensuring Camilla staggers around, half in the bag. Ghost Diana will get the last laugh.
Photos courtesy of Netflix/The Crown.
Princess Diana’s ghost is a constant presence in the BRF so this reads as accurate recent history.
As much as the Crown tanked last season I agree. Diana’s ghost has and will haunt the monarchy for years.
I am absolutely disgusted with Morgan’s portrayal of Diana in S5, but in The Queen he very much illustrated that the BRF didn’t truly understand the everlasting legacy of this woman in their midst (they obviously still don’t understand it as they thought they could pull similar tactics on her son and his family and saw that backfire spectacularly). Morgan may be a faithful royalist but he understands the power of Diana’s ghost.
Agreed, except that the ashy skin and hair loss happened way before he called her paranoid.
I would say the snatchback happened at least 5 years ago.
Maybe he said something in private and Diana’s ghost heard it at that time.
Ghost Diana? Really? Sigh.
I mean I get the point he’s trying to make but…..way to hit us over the head with it Morgan.
Yeah, and from the article’s description, it sounds like Ghost Diana will be used to absolve and redeem Charles (her ghost reconciles with him?!) from his, and the rest of the BRF’s truly appalling and possibly criminal treatment of her.
The Crown jumped the shark for sure.
They’re probably going to have Diana’s ghost telling Charles to marry Camilla *eyeroll*
the reconciliation angle is weird because as I recall the last season, C&D were on relatively good terms – the scene where he goes to KP and she makes him eggs – it was bittersweet, but not an angry/hateful scene. But I guess it wasnt’ enough and we need the ghost storyline to REALLY make sure people know Diana forgives Charles.
I still think they should have ended the series with Diana’s trip to Paris, or getting in the car that night or something. He’s already done the aftermath of her death with The Queen.
I agree. They should have ended it just before her death. Because ending it in 2005 is just a weird time to end it, especially now that the queen has actually passed. Thematically if they don’t end it just prior to where the movie the Queen started, then they need to bring it to 2022.
And they would need to cover how H and M were treated, which brings up all the themes from the past because they haven’t learned. The only one who does seem to have learned something is Harry because he broke the cycle.
The ghost of Diana should be haunting Morgan for the way he portrayed Diana in season 5.
That’s probably where he got the idea.
This exactly!
Somebody clue me in. Not having been an original member of the Diana fan club, I was mystified a while back when I saw Diana’s friend and Crown consultant, Jemima Khan, had severed ties with The Crown because she didn’t feel “her friend’s final years weren’t being depicted ‘respectfully or compassionately'” (T&C 11/14/21). After reading all the snarky comments about Jemima Khan on this site, I studied up on her elsewhere. Then I saw S5 (The Sanctification of Chuck aka Dragging Diana) – sounded like Jemima Khan knew exactly what was going on! Elizabeth Debicki copied Diana’s physical persona and mannerisms beautifully, but the ghastly writing vilified her. So why all those snarky comments about Jemima Khan?
Yeah as soon as I read “emotional reconciliation” with Charles and the Queen will be in tears, I peaced out. Is the BRF bribing Morgan or something? Because this is beyond gross rewriting of history.
I’m so tired of this show, I’m happy that it’s the last season
I mean, Harry leaving the family is an indirect by-product of Diana’s death and how they treated her when she was alive so she is haunting them. The spectre of Diana hung over that coronation and Charles and Camilla’s state visit to Paris.
I’m gonna be honest, I love the idea of ghost Diana. I wish she were real cause the way fools on salt island act? They need some haunting.
Hee. So this is The Crown’s version of The Fall Of The House Of Usher? Cool…😂
It’s like Tina Brown resurrecting dead Diana for Newsweek cover to sell more magazines. Cheap and creepy.
If anything, having a “Diana ghost” that reduces the Queen to tears would actually provoke sympathy for QEII that she probably doesn’t deserve.
Left to their own devices, the Windsors would have tried to erase Diana entirely. I think this is as good of proof as any that any rational, honest retelling of the aftermath of Diana’s death and the Windsor’s indifference would be seen as some huge criticism, and this Morgan wants to soften it. But that’s what really happened!
Didn’t even bother with the last season because it was so widely panned for being so bad. This seems like a bad gimmick because they should have ended this show last season. Don’t even care because we’ve seen the aftermath of the Windsors post Diana:post Sussexes/ post Elizabeth and it is a mess.
The more I hear about this show the less I want to see it. So I guess the palace got what they wanted. But I’m sure they wanted exposure for that “great love story” between Chuck and Crocmilla. Barf!
Nope, won’t be watching after the way they portrayed Diana last time.
But as sure as god made little green apples, you can bet your life they are going to have her ghost telling Charles that he is a kind caring man 🤢and telling the Queen she is so glad that she looked after “her boys”, when in fact the Queen did sod all to protect Harry!! Making him walk behind the coffin was as act of gross cruelty. If I were writing the “Diana ghost sequence” and lord knows I would love to. I would have Charlie running screaming from his room, clutching his teddy bear, the Queen shivering in her bed and screaming for Philip, Camilla growing warts on her nose and carrying a bunch of hemlock on her wedding day! My final Diana scene would have her appearing to William and telling him she is taking back her looks and he will spend the rest of his life, looking like a prk with teeth, married to a woman who is bat sht crazy.!!
Finally Mr Fitzwilliam, STOP with the bad sniding and grammar, you SHOULD have written, princes William and Harry. Not prince William and Harry. They are BOTH princes, just like you are both stupid and an arse licker
Definitely – they will be using ghost Diana to try to rehab Charles and Camilla’s public image. It will be awful.
It sounds like they’re laying responsibility for ghostly Diana at Netflix’s feet. Figures. But Netflix didn’t “decide” anything here.
Please no more ghosts, I hate it when they do that, it would always be better without the ghost.
I have nothing to say about this program or the royal family but nothing wooshes me back to the eighties/early ninties like that black and red plaid. It was everywhere.
I am all for Ghost Diana showing up to HAUNT them! That would be fine and deserved, if gimmicky. But if she shows them to bestow any kind of peace and forgiveness? Barf.
IDK. S6 sounds like it is going to be a s**t show. In more ways than one.
William was justified in boycatted the bbc because of their diana tv show/movie. Its too much and they are getting stupid with it.
Ghost Diana would be a good idea in capable hands. Judging by last season “ghost diana” will be awful. I dont watch “the crown” but it’s obvious as soon as it got popular the windsors courtiers got hold of it. I also don’t like Helena Bonham Carter.
Just like the Itv snippet show “the windsors”. It’s always been tired and stale but they had good moments. The guy who plays chuck got great lines. The actor must write them. Then it got popular. Now it just panders to Kate first and than William. It’s unwatchable as a whole. The “chuck goes on strike” bit was funny.
William censored the Bashir interview. He is no hero to me.
Series 5 was so frustrating. The dialogue was soooo clunky and bad. They may as well have brought in Sir Basil Exposition from Austin Powers. And, I didn’t think the actors playing Liz and Phil were up to the mark like their predecessors.
Again, that could be a mark of how bad the dialogue was and perhaps the point was to show how Liz is Queen first, and human a far second, but these are well-known, award winning actors and they couldn’t breathe any life Into it.
Loved Lesley Manville and Timothy Dalton’s episode though.
I have a feeling that they toned down Series 5 after Chuckles hissy fit after Series 4.
I also have a feeling that Series 5 was ‘safe filler’ whilst the Queen passed away.
I hope they go to town in this last series and go full scorched earth – but something tells me they will tow the establishment line because the only person who really faces any sort of criticism in that family are Harry & Meghan.
Philips (and his mothers) episodes will always be my favourite.
I thought the first two seasons were brilliant in balance and insight and the third and fourth were still good. It should have ended as a very good body of work. It would have preserved the integrity of his story-telling. All I can say about season five, and I confess I only watched two episodes, is that it was unwatchable- the scenes dragged, and you felt a complete sea change in the characters and story arc and that is why I didn’t want to endure the whole season. I don’t plan to watch the final season. And to resort to the device of a ghost is to probably do a great disservice to Diana’s character and exploit her again in service of “the crown.”
Diana and Charles never really reconciled
She did not trust him imo judging by some of her letters. Plus he had his sympathizers like penny posthumously trash Diana. If the ghost Diana praises Camilla for looking after Charles the series will reach its lowest point.
Looks like somebody was taking notes from Spare. Morgan must have a sense that this last season will not have as much of an audience: “ghost Diana” reeks of desperation.