- By Yasmin Rufo
- Entertainment reporter
Australian actress Debicki, who plays Princess Diana, has also appeared in Tenet, The Great Gatsby and Guardians of the Galaxy
The first four episodes of the final series of Netflix’s The Crown have been released.
Season six of the royal drama depicts the events of the late 1990s, including Princess Diana’s relationship with Dodi Fayed.
The new episodes also show the events leading up to Diana’s death in 1997 and the aftermath.
However, the show’s release has been met with criticism due to historical inaccuracies.
Kelly Swaby, a royal historian, told the BBC: “As a historian it sometimes makes me want to cry.
“Viewers often expect a degree of accuracy with the show because the production quality is so high, but we don’t always get that.”
Netflix previously said the show “has always been presented as a drama based on historical events”.
The new season is divided into two parts. The first four episodes were launched on Netflix at 0800 GMT Thursday. The remaining six episodes will follow on December 14.
The latest series is once again written by Peter Morgan, who created the hugely popular show, which has been running since 2016.
At the end of season five, viewers saw Tony Blair become Prime Minister and Prince Charles go to Hong Kong.
The new season begins with Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki) and Prince Charles (Dominic West) spending their first summer apart as a divorced couple with their sons Prince William (Rufus Kampa) and Prince Harry (Fflyn Edwards).
The final season covers the relationship between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed
The Wire star Dominic West reprises his role as Prince Charles, as he was then, in the show’s sixth season
Fflyn Edwards (left) and Rufus Kampa play Princes Harry and William respectively in the first part of the sixth season
While Diana vacations on a yacht belonging to Dodi’s father, business tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed (Salim Daw), in the south of France, Prince Charles spends time at Balmoral.
Subsequent episodes cover the media frenzy surrounding Diana and Dodi’s (Khalid Abdalla) relationship, culminating in the paparazzi chase that caused the car they were both in to crash into a Paris tunnel. Both died on August 31, 1997.
The series will depict the immediate events following the fatal car crash, including reactions and responses from the Queen and Al Fayed.
Producers have said that Prince William will be seen trying to integrate back into life at Eton following the death of his mother.
Imelda Staunton reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth II for the sixth season. The monarch has previously been played by Olivia Colman and Claire Foy.
Jonathan Pryce also returns as the Duke of Edinburgh.
The second half of the final season, released in December, will cover events including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla and the courtship of William and Kate – now the Prince and Princess of Wales – at the University of St. Andrews.
Imelda Staunton reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth II, previously also played by Claire Foy and Olivia Colman
Swaby said The Crown will have taken “artistic license” in how sensitive events are depicted, not least because “no one knows what happened in private events”, such as how Prince Charles broke the news of Diana’s death to his sons.
She added that the production would have had to “tread very carefully this season as most of the people in it are still alive”.
How Prince Charles broke the news of Diana’s death to his sons will be covered in the new season
The second part of the final season will cover the courtship of William and Kate
On Diana’s death, Swaby said careful thought would be given to its portrayal because “Harry and William are still affected by their mother’s death and it’s being turned into entertainment”.
Princes William and Harry will be played by Ed McVey and Luther Ford, respectively, in the second half of the season. Kate Middleton will be played by Meg Bellamy.
It is the first major role for all three young actors.
