‘Damaging and malicious fiction’: Sir John Major attacks The Crown amid fears over King’s reputation

16 October 2022, 07:44

Sir John Major has issued a statement condemning Netflix Series The Crown as a “damaging and malicious” work of fiction.

Creators of The hit Netflix show are being pressured to put a warning notice at the start of each episode reminding viewers that parts of the show are fictitious.

A rumoured plot line in which King Charles secretly schemed to oust the Queen when Prince of Wales has caused particular concern - and prompted Sir John to issue a damning statement about the programme.

Last night,  a spokesman for Sir John said: “Sir John has not cooperated – in any way – with The Crown. Nor has he ever been approached by them to fact-check any script material in this or any other series.

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“Discussions between the monarch and prime minister are entirely private and – for Sir John – will always remain so.”

The plot lines were described as “damaging and malicious fiction” and “a barrel-load of nonsense peddled for no other reason than to provide maximum - and entirely false - dramatic impact”.

“There was never any discussion between Sir John and the then Prince of Wales about any possible abdication of the late Queen Elizabeth II ,” the spokesman added.

Scenes featuring imagined conversations with the late monarch were “fiction, pure and simple”.

Sir John has never disclosed the nature of any of the discussions he held with the late Queen during their weekly audiences.

One scene said to feature in the series shows the then Prince of Wales summoning Sir John to a meeting and hinting that he wants his support for the Queen’s abdication.

Netflix has previously made clear that The Crown is a dramatic series and has never sought to portray it as a documentary.