Critics say The Crown displays a general lack of respect for The Queen and her family.
ADVERTISEMENTThe new fourth season of Netflix's "The Crown" is causing a strong backlash over the depiction of the British Royal Family. Even the government has weighed into the controversy with Culture Minister Oliver Dowden suggesting the hit drama should come with a caveat.
He wants it to be made perfectly clear the series is a work of fiction.
``It's a beautifully produced work of fiction. So as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that,'' Dowden told the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday. ``"Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact.''
Dowden is expected to write to Netflix this week to express his view.
Earlier seasons of the show did not raise similar concerns, but series four deals in detail with the rocky relationship between Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales.
Critics say the popular series is playing fast and loose with the lives of the Royal Family and is full of historical inaccuracies.
``The Crown creator, Peter Morgan, has defended his work, saying it is thoroughly researched and true in spirit.
Historian Alex von Tunzelmann says the series is billed as a drama and the characters are played by actors, so it's hard to believe people can be that stupid.
"These people are in the tabloids every day with myths made up about them, but nobody seems to be going after that fiction," she says. " But they're going after something presented as fiction on TV. Perhaps it's just a softer target."
You can watch the full interview in the video player above