The 'malicious' scene from Netflix series The Crown that left Prince Philip 'terribly upset'

Prince Philip
(Image credit: Getty)

The 'malicious' scene from the Netflix series The Crown that left Prince Phillip 'terribly upset' has been revealed.

Prince Philip is said to have been left 'terribly upset' by a scene in The Crown that streaming service Netflix which broadcasts the show is being pressured to apologise.

Following the death of the Duke, who passed away at his Windsor Castle home on 9th April, Netflix is being encouraged to issue an apology to the royal family after a 'shockingly malicious' scene was aired during the popular period drama.

The pressure for an apology comes after reports from a royal expert that one particular storyline left the late Prince 'terribly upset' even though not everything is factual in The Crown.

Prince Philip, the Queen

(Image credit: Getty)

It comes as the show is looking for a little boy to play Prince William in The Crown season five. A teenage Philip was portrayed by actor Finn Elliot, 18. Matt Smith, 38, played the Duke in series one and two and Tobias Menzies, 47, took over for series four and five.

The Crown, created by Peter Morgan, is a lavish original drama that portrays the life of Queen Elizabeth II and her family from the 1940s to modern times. And it was during season 2 that fans of the show witnessed flashbacks to the Duke of Edinburgh’s childhood and the death of his sister, Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark, in 1937. She died tragically in a plane accident when she was only 26, and the prince 16.

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Not only was the death an upsetting thing to watch being replayed on screen but the drama suggested that Philip was being blamed by his father Prince Andrew, for his sister's tragic death.

Viewers are shown scenes during her funeral in Germany where a young Philip is confronted by his father, who told him, "You are the reason we are all here, burying my favourite child."

For anyone who has not seen the episode, the show implied that Cecile took the plane that killed her only because Philip was banned from visiting her in Germany due to his poor behaviour at school. So instead of the young royal flying to her, Cecile instead decided to fly to England but her plane hit a factory chimney in Belgium, killing her and her husband as well as their two sons, their unborn baby boy, and her mother-in-law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5xKTdi9Evs

And royal experts have claimed the Duke of Edinburgh was deeply hurt by this on-screen portrayal of his childhood and when he and the Queen were made aware of the hurtful storyline at the time, he and the Queen refused to watch the drama.

Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told the Daily Mail, ‘[Philip] had nothing to do with his sister’s death… Cecilie did die in an air crash but that’s the only thing that was true. Everything else was invented in a shockingly malicious way.'

‘The whole thing about Cecilie, which he did learn about, was terribly upsetting to him. ‘[Netflix] should emphatically apologise and I think a disclaimer is necessary more than ever. Now that he is gone, what they have done to his reputation is in even sharper relief.’

Netflix has declined to comment.

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)