In the latest season of Netflix’s acclaimed series The Crown, controversy has erupted over the portrayal of the romance between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed.
The opening episodes depict the blossoming relationship between the two against the backdrop of the Mediterranean, suggesting that Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late Egyptian business mogul, orchestrated the union to fulfill his desire for British citizenship.
However, Michael Cole, Al-Fayed’s former spokesperson, vehemently denies these claims. In 1997, Al-Fayed was accused of engineering the romance, a charge he refuted. He never witnessed Al-Fayed’s involvement in orchestrating the relationship or commissioning photos of the couple, Cole explained.
According to Deadline, Netflix categorizing The Crown as dramatized fiction. Cole argues that the show’s portrayal is misleading. The opening episode features Al-Fayed reintroducing Diana and Dodi on his yacht, Jonikal, providing ample room for creative license. The series portrays Al-Fayed instructing Dodi to woo Diana, claiming a relationship between them would make him proud.
Cole dismisses the show’s depiction of Al-Fayed’s involvement as “total nonsense,” emphasizing that while Al-Fayed was pleased with the relationship, engineering love was beyond his capabilities.
The controversy arises as the series portrays the tragic fate of Diana and Dodi, who died in a car accident shortly after their romance began. Netflix has yet to comment on the allegations, leaving fans and critics alike to debate the blurred lines between historical drama and creative interpretation in The Crown.
