'CORPORATE TROLLING'
Palace insider accuses Netflix of ‘trolling’ the Royals with ‘sinister’ tweet promising ‘answers’ to The Crown criticism
NETFLIX has been accused of "corporate trolling" after posting a "sinister" tweet plugging a documentary that promises to answer criticism over The Crown.
The streaming giant tweeted a clip from its documentary Diana: In Her Own Words - telling fans it "answers much of what you’re asking".
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A wave of criticism has been directed at the Royal Family by fans over how Princess Diana is treated in popular series with trolls hurling vile abuse at the Duchess of Cornwall over her false portrayal.
Many figures - including the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden - have called for the show to remind viewers that it is a work of fiction.
Now senior palace figures have accused Netflix of using its social media channels to continue sharing "sinister" messages.
The source : "It’s one thing to make a drama that not even the writer claims is entirely factual, but for Netflix to use its corporate social channels to create and post material that is one-sided at best feels like corporate trolling – it’s pretty sinister."
There have been concerns that some of the fictional scenes written by show creator Peter Morgan are doing real damage to the monarchy because many viewers believe they are true.
While the show is loosely based on historical events, there are many fictional aspects to it, including the false suggestion that the affair between Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles continued throughout his marriage to Diana.
And Netflix's Twitter account this week appeared to address some of the criticism, posting a link to their documentary along with the message: "The documentary DIANA: IN HER OWN WORDS answers much of what you’re asking".
In the clip, audio from Princess Diana talking to writer Andrew Morton can be heard as she reveals Prince Charles and Camilla's relationship "broke (her) heart".
She can also be heard talking about being left devastated when her then future husband bought Camilla a bracelet, saying the future king was "hot and cold" in their own relationship.
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Netflix's tweet sparked a string of vile messages directed toward the Queen, Prince Philip, Charles and Camilla.
One person wrote: "I just hope the Queen will be reasonable enough to not pass on the throne to Charles. It will surely be disgusting to know that a mistress will soon be a Queen."
Another posted: "Camilla and Charles are rotten people. I can't stand them!!! They are really phoney!!! I don't think of Charles as a prince, he is an a******. So is Camilla. He doesn't deserve to be king."
Many others were too vile to print.
According to the Mail Online, the comments were allegedly alerted to Netflix "more than 24 hours ago" and as of now, they remain online.
Conservative Lord Forsyth of Drumlean accused the US streaming giant of "crossing a line".
He said he would raise the issue in the House of Lords and with the Prime Minister directly.
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On December 3, he wrote to the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom to complain of the "hurtful, false, misleading and poisonous impression of people in our public life who cannot fight back."
Lord Forsyth called for Netflix to be regulated in the UK like other broadcasters that operate in Britain.
He said: "What they are doing is absolutely shocking. It is mendacious and it is untrue.
"And as every day goes by without any action on the issue, more and more people are seeing this programme, and unfortunately people believe this stuff to be fact.
"If Netflix are also using a corporate account in that way [to deliberately publicise negative programmes about the Royal Family] then the case for regulation is even stronger."
He added: "They [Netflix] can’t continue to say, “This is drama, this is not our fault'.
"They are clearly using a programme which is sensationalist and mendacious to promote their commercial interests.
"The royals do not have a right to reply. This is damaging, nasty and unpleasant stuff."
Last week a friend of Prince Charles called Netflix's portrayal of the Royal Family "highly sophisticated propaganda".
The pal is reported to have said: "It is quite sinister the way that Morgan is clearly using light entertainment to drive a very overt republican agenda and people just don’t see it.
"They have been lured in over the first few series until they can’t see how they are being manipulated.
"It is highly sophisticated propaganda."
The fourth series of The Crown, which was released earlier this month, portrays Princess Diana's eating disorder and Prince Charles' affair with the then Camilla Parker Bowles.
As her marriage to the heir to the throne crumbles, Diana, played by Emma Corrin, 24, is seen violently vomiting into a toilet on multiple occasions.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has demanded Netflix make clear that The Crown is "fiction" and is said to be writing to the production.
He said: "It's a beautifully produced work of fiction so as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that.
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"Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact."
Mr Dowden is expected to write to the streaming service to request that it adds what others have called a "health warning" to the start of each of the ten episodes.
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Netflix declined to comment.
Buckingham Palace been contacted for comment.
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