Why Netflix depictions of Charles and Al-Fayed in The Crown are wide of the mark

The final series of The Crown depicts Prince Charles waging “war” on Diana, Princess of Wales, in the weeks before her death because she was getting more press coverage than Camilla Parker Bowles.

The then heir to the throne is shown hosting a 50th birthday party for his future wife at Highgrove but loses his temper when Diana dominates the next day’s front pages.

However, Ingrid Seward, the royal biographer, said there was not a “grain of truth” in the suggestion that Charles lost his temper over such a matter.

“That’s just not him,” she said. “He might have been worried that Diana was intent on trying to eclipse Camilla but would have approached it in a different way.

“I think he would have felt sad that she felt the need to do that.” 

The first episode of the sixth and final series, released on Thursday, shows Charles pleading with his mother, Elizabeth II, to attend the birthday party, saying “a public gesture of approval from the Queen would transform the campaign for Camilla’s legitimacy”.

In the series, he adds: “Your attendance not only as my mother but symbolically as queen would be transformative for Camilla. She’ll never be fully embraced by the public until she has your approval.”

However, the Queen is cold towards her son and tells him she cannot go because she has to visit a Rolls-Royce factory in Derbyshire.

“How can I possibly give my approval when I don’t approve,” she asks.

“It’s nothing personal, I’m sure she’s very nice. It’s a matter of principle. Two perfectly good marriages, two perfectly happy families, have been broken up by this.”

Meanwhile, Diana tells Prince William they are going on holiday with Mohamed Al-Fayed because she wants to be out of the country for “you-know-who’s” birthday celebration.

The following day, Charles is miserable because his ex-wife dominates the newspaper front pages.

“What’s the use of a few warm headlines when Camilla can be eclipsed by Diana at the drop of a hat?” he rages at his PR guru, Mark Bolland, whose job was to make the future Queen more presentable. “I don’t want partial, qualified victory. This is war. Only total victory will do.”

Pulling the strings

Meanwhile, the new episodes depict Al-Fayed, the former Harrods boss, tipping off the paparazzi shortly before the death of his son, Dodi, and Diana. The Netflix series portrays Al-Fayed, who died in September aged 94, as a controlling figure who forced his son to embark on a relationship with the Princess, whom he announced he was serving “on a plate”.

Seemingly obsessed with pairing them off, he is depicted as a manipulative figure, who is pulling the strings behind his son’s back as he plots and forces an engagement, all the while making sure that the newspapers documented their relationship.

Michael Cole, Al-Fayed’s former spokesman, branded the suggestion that he had contrived the love affair “utter nonsense”. Mr Cole, who knew the Egyptian businessman for 37 years, said that in fact, he had told Diana and Dodi to slow down.

“Mohamed was a remarkable man in many ways,” he said. “He was delighted that his eldest son and his family’s dear friend, Diana, were together. But making two people fall in love with each other? That was beyond even his great talents.

“Because it’s impossible. The reverse is the truth. Mohamed told Diana and Dodi to relax, take their time, enjoy themselves, have fun and avoid rushing anything.

“More than once I heard him say to Dodi, in Arabic, ‘Shway, shway’ – slow down, take it easy.”