Royal fans might be anticipating the release of The Crown season 4 because it will introduce Princess Diana's storyline. However, a royal expert said it will likely bring heartache for Prince William and Harry regardless if they watch the Netflix drama or not.
Biographer Penny Juror said that Prince William and Harry asked the public to "let their mother rest in peace" when she died in 1997. Juror thinks that The Crown season 4 will be "incredibly hard" for Princess Diana's sons, especially since the show will delve into the breakdown of their parents' marriage.
True Royalty TV editor Nick Bullen also said that he sympathizes with Prince William and Harry. The Crown season 4 will not just cover the affair of Prince Charles with Camilla Parker Bowles but also Princess Diana's affair with Captain James Hewitt and her bout with bulimia.
Actress Emma Corrin, who plays Princess Diana in the series, said that she insisted on having the bulimia storyline. The young star said that she admired how the Princess of Wales was "very candid" about her eating disorder so she asked the writing team for scenes that will depict her experience in an honest way.
Corrin said that shying away from this sensitive subject would be a disservice to those who suffer from the eating disorder. The Crown season 4 had consultants for this storyline so that they could tell the story the right way while presenting the royal's emotional turmoil.
This won't be the first attempt to dramatize the life of Prince William and Harry's mother. Documentaries and films about Princess Diana's life and death have been pop culture and historical subjects for over two decades.
The debut of Diana's character in the royal drama series comes as her real-life interview in BBC's Panorama 25 years ago is back in the headlines. Allegations of coercion and exploitation of the princess' vulnerability, so she would talk badly about Prince Charles, have been lodged against the show and its journalist, Martin Bashir.
Meanwhile, William and Harry admitted in 2017 that their mother's loss has a lasting impact on them because "everyone knows the story." The Duke of Cambridge said that it took him 20 years to arrive at a better place where he can talk about his mother in public but he and Prince Harry remain protective of their mother's legacy.
Prince William was 15 and Harry was 12 when Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris, France. In July 2021, the brothers are expected to reunite and come together to unveil the Princess Diana statue at Kensington Palace, their mother's home. The unveiling will coincide with her 60th birthday.
