We were never interested' in exploring how Princess Diana died, says The Crown creator
When tackling the final season of the popular royal drama The Crown, creator Peter Morgan took extra care to handle certain stories, mainly, Princess Diana’s tragic death.
After previously revealing that the show would not be showing the car crash that killed the princess, Peter opened up more about Season 6 of the show and its handling of the late royal’s passing, saying that it was never his intention to explore how Princess Diana died or the conspiracies surrounding her death.
“This was never going to be a story about how did she die? The police inquiry sorted all that out. We were never interested in that. It was always about, what was the impact on the family before and after her death? What was the truth of the nature of her relationship with Dodi Fayed?” said Peter.
Elizabeth Debicki, who returns for a second season to portray the late princess, was also present for the LA premiere, where she channeled Princess Diana while sporting a black Bottega Veneta dress that resembled her iconic “revenge dress.”
The Guardians of the Galaxy star said tackling the story in Season 6 was “unusual territory” due to the “historical blueprint” of the royal tale, which made her feel a duty to live up to the “huge responsibility” of doing it “beautifully and honestly.”
“It’s a tricky conversation to have because you can’t say something like legacy because it’s not – it’s an intelligent drama. But at the same time, we know that we’re dealing with an audience’s blend of real life memory and then an invention in the television show,” Elizabeth said.
“We did tread with as much respect as we possibly could have had, and that I know for sure. So, I’m glad because when I watched it back, I realised what a serious thing it was to make.”
Also, explored this season is the relationship between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, the Egyptian film producer and son of billionaire Mohammed Al-Fayed.
Portrayed by Khalid Abdalla, Elizabeth says working with The Kite Runner alum was “so easy” as they told Peter’s version of the famous relationship.
