Queen Elizabeth Was Very 'Upset and Angry' After One Particular Episode of 'The Crown'

Queen Elizabeth III was 'upset and angered' when she watched one specific episode of The Crown. The series, based on the British Royal Family which is available to stream on Netflix, made a huge impact globally when it first came out. However, episode 9 of season 2 broke her. The episode shows in detail the debate between the late Queen and Prince Philip as they discussed the future of their son Prince Charles and his schooling. 

As per Cosmopolitan, the episode shows the struggles of young Prince Charles who goes to Gordonstoun, the school his father chose for him. However, Charles gets bullied by fellow mates and cries about it, to which his father calls him 'bloody weak;' Prince Philip had also attended the same school. However, a senior courtier of the British monarchy explained what exactly irked the late monarch: "The Queen realizes that many who watch The Crown take it as an accurate portrayal of the Royal Family and she cannot change that."

"But I can convey that she was upset by the way Prince Philip is depicted as being a father insensitive to his son’s wellbeing... She was particularly annoyed at a scene in which Philip has no sympathy for a plainly upset Charles while he is flying him home from Scotland. That simply did not happen," the courtier revealed disclosing the reason that upset her highness.

The series also chronicles the infidelity of Prince Philip, the Queen's father's death, and accusations of Nazi support from her family, among other things, as per Elle. Another part that 'terribly upset' Prince Philip particularly was the episode where he was indirectly blamed for her sister Cecile's death in a plane crash.

According to Page Six, the royal historian, Hugo Vickers, shared that the Queen was 'briefed' well about the series before its production by her courtiers. However, the plot took a dark turn as the death of Princess Diana was telecasted. Vickers told the news outlet back in 2023 how the series has impacted the family by scratching the scab of the old wounds that were set to heal. "You cannot escape that they are picking away at the souls of real people. It’s vile," he said. "This queen looks so boring [and] nothing like her at all," he continued as he questioned the portrayal of the Queen.

"The queen always managed to keep her twinkle in her eye and keep her sense of humor even in the most difficult of times — she was not slumped like this woman on TV. Imelda Staunton just looks like a bored housewife, a real crosspatch, and so unlike the real queen," he added. Adding on about Diana's portrayal, Vickers said, "The character impersonation is so awry … Diana has to appeal to the American audience, to her army of fans."