Netflix has defended The Crown amid criticism of its forthcoming fifth series, including from former prime minister Sir John Major.
The new series, which will launch on 9 November, will pick up in the 90s, with Jonny Lee Miller set to portray Major in a move that raised eyebrows among fans of The Crown when it was first announced last year.
Over the weekend, the former Conservative leader blasted the show, particularly over one rumoured storyline in which King Charles and Major hold a meeting in which the former alludes to Queen Elizabeth II potentially abdicating.
A spokesperson for Major said (via Radio Times): “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.
“Discussions between the monarch and prime minister are entirely private and – for Sir John – will always remain so.”
They went on to brand the reported storyline involving Major as “nothing other than damaging and malicious fiction” and “a barrel-load of nonsense peddled for no other reason than to provide maximum – and entirely false – dramatic impact”.
A spokesperson for The Crown has insisted that the Netflix series “has always been presented as a drama based on historical events.”
They added: “Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the Royal Family – one that has already been scrutinised and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians.”
Netflix also said the sixth and final series of The Crown will not depict the Paris car crash that killed Diana in August 1997, contrary to media reports.
According to the PA news agency, the series will show the lead-up to the fatal incident as well as its aftermath, but not the crash itself.
The fourth series of the lavish Netflix drama previously attracted criticism for allegedly not doing enough to ensure viewers knew it was a work of fiction.
Oliver Dowden, who was then culture secretary, asked Netflix to add a disclaimer to episodes, a request the company rejected.
Although there is no disclaimer on the individual episodes, when viewers tune in on the service the show is labelled with a “log line” as a fictional drama based on historical events.
The Crown was due to end after the fifth series, but the show’s creator and writer, Peter Morgan, later said it would be extended to include a sixth series.
Filming on the latest series of The Crown was halted as a mark of respect after the Queen’s death. Filming was also suspended on the day of her funeral.
It was previously revealed that series five of the show would delve into Diana’s now infamous Panorama interview with journalist Martin Bashir.