Judi Dench says Netflix's 'The Crown' uses 'crude sensationalism'

Renowned British actress Judi Dench has called on Netflix to add a disclaimer to royal drama The Crown, joining a chorus of voices criticising the series’ fictionalised storylines.

In a letter on Thursday, the 87-year-old veteran said as the award-winning show approached present times ‘the more freely it seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism’.

“While many will recognise The Crown for the brilliant but fictionalised account of events that it is, I fear that a significant number of viewers, particularly overseas, may take its version of history as being wholly true,” Dench wrote.

Dench has portrayed historical queens Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria on screen as well as James Bond’s boss M.

Netflix says The Crown, which follows the reign of late Queen Elizabeth over the decades, is ‘fictional dramatization’, inspired by real events.

Its fifth season, in which a new cast will portray the royal family in the 1990s, premieres on November 9, two months after King Charles ascended the throne. — Reuters