Netflix's The Crown has sparked fresh indignation with its plans to dramatize the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, UK media reported.
Graphic and harrowing scenes depicting the run-up to Diana's death that are now being worked on have reportedly left even members of the filming crew concerned and "pushing back on the ideas being tabled".
“To be going back to Paris and turning Diana’s final days and hours into a drama feels very uncomfortable. The show always tried to present a fictional version of royal history with as much sensitivity as possible. But lately, as things get closer to the present day, it feels harder to strike that balance. With some of those moments still so fresh and upsetting, it feels as though a line is being crossed," a source was cited as saying.
The scenes will allegedly focus on the Princess' final trip to Paris and cover the days and hours before and after the tragic car crash.
Diana, Princess of Wales, died in the early hours of 31 August 1997, after the car she was in crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris while the driver was fleeing the paparazzi. The crash also resulted in the death of her companion, Dodi Fayed, and his driver, Henri Paul.
Sources close to Prince William have been cited as saying he will be angered by Netflix’s option to capitalize on reproducing his mother’s final days for entertainment purposes. Netflix has insisted the "exact moment of the crash impact" would not be shown.
Police services prepare to take away the damaged car in the Pont d'Alma tunnel in Paris in which Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed were traveling in this Sunday, Aug. 31, 1997
© AP Photo / JEROME DELAY
The drama, returning for its fifth season, has faced criticism over several new scenes, such as those alleging Prince Charles - now King Charles III - tried to draw then-prime minister John Major into what appears to be a plot to persuade Queen Elizabeth II to abdicate, suggesting she was too old. The episode in question has been denounced as "malicious nonsense" by sources close to the monarch, with calls for the Netflix TV series to be boycotted.
Amid the controversy, a spokesman for the drama was cited as saying on Sunday:
“Series 5 is a fictional dramatization, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors.”