Netflix ‘The Crown’ unveils Queen’s response to Diana’s death

Last week, The Crown premiered its initial four episodes which covered the tragic car crash that killed Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed in August 1997.

The concluding episode of season 6, part 1, titled Aftermath, shows Queen Elizabeth II, played by Imelda Staunton, reacting to the Princess of Wales’ death in a controversial manner.

The episode captures the royal family’s reluctance to publicly mourn Diana’s demise as the queen stays at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland for five days after the news broke.

In a somber scene, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, played by Dominic West, discuss issuing a public statement with the former dismissing the idea as “theater, spectacle, exhibitionism.”

An imagination of Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, appears which prompts a bitter comment from the Queen, “I hope you’re happy now. You’ve finally succeeded in turning me and this house upside down,” to which the late princess replies, “That was never my intention.”

In reality, reports suggested that the Queen was only following protocol and refrained from making statements because she wanted to protect her grandson Prince William and Prince Harry, who were 15 and 12 at the time, respectively.