Princess Diana sparks outrage in The Crown Season 4

Emma Soteriou
Princess Diana The Crown season 4

Fans are both upset and angry at the treatment of Princess Diana after watching Season 4 of Netflix’s The Crown.

The Crown is gradually edging towards its most turbulent season, with the introduction of Princess Diana – played by Emma Corrin – in Season 4 setting up what audiences already know to be a tragic story.

The most recent season also saw Gillian Anderson take on the role of Margaret Thatcher, with both characters, of course, playing a key part in the show.

The Crown Prince Charles and Princess Diana
Prince Charles and Princess Diana in The Crown

Why are The Crown fans outraged?

For a new generation of people watching Diana’s story unfold, The Crown’s fourth season has been quite the eye-opener.

Though most are taking into consideration the fact that not all of the show is true, the difficult experiences Diana faced entering the royal family were reflected a lot in the show, making fans frustrated at her mistreatment.

Upon the season’s release, Twitter was soon flooded with reactions to each episode. One viewer said the show has made them “irrationally angry” while another added that Diana “deserved better”.

Others were less happy about how the royals were represented on-screen, highlighting the lack of truth behind the storyline. One person even accused the show of “peddling lies” to their viewers.

The actress behind the Princess of Wales has recently defended the new season, reminding viewers that the show is “fictionalized” during an interview on the Tamron Hall Show.

“It’s a difficult one,” she admitted. “I think for everyone in The Crown, we always try and remind everyone that the series that we’re in is fictionalized, to a great extent. Obviously, it has its roots in reality and in some fact, but Peter Morgan’s scripts are works of fiction.”

Emma Corrin Princess Diana in The Crown
Emma Corrin as Princess Diana in her famous wedding dress

How did Emma Corrin get the role?

Despite getting criticism from some, a lot of viewers have been impressed with Emma Corrin’s portrayal of Princess Diana.

The actress was originally used as a stand-in, reading lines as Diana for a Camilla Parker Bowles casting call, according to Interview magazine. Though not an audition of sorts, Corrin still prepared as if it were one, most notably watching ‘Diana: In Her Own Words’ around 15 times.

When she was finally offered the role, Corrin claimed she ‘nearly blacked out’, after having been compared to the famous princess multiple times while growing up. “There’s this theme throughout my life of Diana cropping up. It doesn’t feel ordinary,” she explained.

With such a positive audience response to her role in The Crown, Corrin will inevitably continue to progress in the industry.

However, with a change of cast for Season 5 of the show, it’s Elizabeth Debicki who will be taking over as Diana for the final two seasons, showing her in the later years before her death.

The Crown is available to stream now on Netflix and the next season is expected to arrive in 2022.

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About The Author

Emma is a former Dexerto writer. Emma joined Dexerto's Movies and TV vertical in its early stages, and helped shape a new area of coverage focused on the biggest shows and movies releasing. Keeping fans up to date with the stars, directors, and production companies, and all the juiciest stories from around the entertainment industry.