Prince Philip was “very upset” by the “shockingly malicious” scenes about him in the TV series “Crown”, according to royal biographers.
Philip – who died on Friday at the age of 99 – was upset when he heard how the royal show described him as a serial spinner who, in turn, threatened Princess Diana’s daughter-in-law, royal specialists said on Sunday.
However, the most “blatant” scene was in which his father was shown upset by accusing him of killing his sister in a plane crash, biographer Sally Bedell Smith told the British newspaper.
The episode suggested that Philip should go to Germany to visit his sister, Princess Cecilia of Greece and Denmark, in 1937, but was banned after he had problems at school.
His sister decided to fly to Britain to see him, but her plane crashed, killing her, her husband, their two sons and an unborn baby boy, as well as her mother-in-law. episode report.
The show featured Philip’s father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, confronting his son at the funeral – telling him, “You’re the reason we’re all here, burying my favorite baby.”
Bedell Smith – who published a bestselling biography of the queen – said Philip “has nothing to do with his sister’s death”, which never caused a breakup with his father.
“Cecilie died in a plane crash … that’s the only real thing,” she told the British newspaper. “Everything else was invented in a shockingly malicious way.”
While Philip and Queen Elizabeth II both refused to watch the controversial show, the Duke of Edinburgh was told about the story – which “terribly upsets him,” Bedell Smith said.
Netflix “should apologize emphatically,” the biographer said.
“And I think a decline in responsibility is needed more than ever,” she insisted on previous calls for the show to warn viewers that it was a drama rather than a historically correct retelling.
“Now that he’s gone, what they did to his reputation is even easier,” she said.
Another royal biographer, Hugo Vickers, also insisted that Philip was “very upset” about the show.
“How shameful it was to turn Prince Philip into a cartoonist – without ever doing a thing in the series,” he told the British newspaper.
“The description was cruel and deeply unfair. The least Netflix could do was alert viewers to a disclaimer. ”
Crown producers said Friday they were “deeply saddened” by the news of Philip’s death, saying, “Our thoughts are with the royal family at this sad time.”
Actors Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies, who also played Philip posted tributes to the late prince.
However, Netflix and the show’s creator, Peter Morgan, did not respond when asked if they would apologize for portraying Philip, the Mail said on Sunday.