Netflix Says The Crown Won't Directly Depict The Car Crash That Killed Princess Diana

Peter Morgan's "The Crown" has become a major draw for Netflix subscribers since it arrived on the streaming service in 2016. It's a fascinating look at the long reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II (portrayed by Claire Foy, then Olivia Colman, and now Imelda Staunton) — one that doesn't exactly gloss over all of the drama that has taken place in the halls of Buckingham Palace across the decades. Some, including Elizabeth II herself over this particular depiction, have their complaints about the show, but it's clear its detractors are far less numerous than its supporters.

Season 5 of "The Crown" is on its way to Netflix, and it promises to be quite the tense batch of episodes. Most notably, it will cover the increasingly strained relationship between Prince Charles (Dominic West) and Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki), which ultimately results in their messy divorce. Of course, if you're familiar with British history, you'll know that not long after this happened, Diana sadly died in a car accident on September 6, 1997. "The Crown" hasn't shied away from covering tragic events before, but how graphic will the program get with Diana's death?

According to Netflix, "The Crown" won't go into excruciating detail when it comes to depicting Diana's death in the sixth and final season, but it won't flat-out ignore it either.

On October 12, 2022, a source told Deadline that as the inevitable coverage of Princess Diana's death approached in the story, the "Crown" crew was extremely uncomfortable having to dive into such subject matter. "We've been dreading getting to this point...There's a certain anxiety, a palpable sense of being slightly on edge. I mean, there's bombshell sensitivity surrounding this one," they said, and they have every reason to feel the way they do. Diana's sudden death in 1997 shocked the entire world, and one can still feel the unease surrounding it all these years later. 

Thankfully for those working on "The Crown" and viewers who are equally uninterested in revisiting the exact moment of Diana's death, Netflix is working around it. "[Season 6] will not depict the crash, contrary to some reports," a Netflix representative told Daily News in a statement on October 18. At the same time, they did confirm that her death will play a key role as audiences see what led up to it and the aftermath. "The Crown" Season 6 will also reportedly recount key moments between members of the royal family and those around them as Diana's death inches closer.

"The Crown" Season 5 will debut on Netflix on November 9, 2022 — something that doesn't sit well with many fans given Queen Elizabeth II's recent passing — with Season 6 to follow on an undisclosed date.