Prince Harry is under new scrutiny after Diana: The Musical premiered on Netflix. Harry famously signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the streaming giant earlier this year, and now one person is calling for him to resign in the wake of the controversial depiction of the late Princess Diana.
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Netflix’s ‘Diana: The Musical’ Draws Lackluster Response
Diana: The Musical began streaming on October 1, but the Broadway musical turned Netflix production has already garnered a strong response, but not necessarily a good one. The musical has been panned by several critics and has even been compared to 2019’s Cats. The reception on social media has been mixed, with some liking it precisely because of its balance of camp and cringe. Others, however, have taken offense at the Netflix addition.
Why Some Call For Prince Harry To Resign Netflix Post
One critic, in particular, is furious about the way Princess Diana is portrayed, calling it the “most offensive and degrading portrayal of the late Princess of Wales in fiction since her death in 1997.” Dan Wootton, writing for Daily Mail, penned a blistering essay decrying the production and calling on Diana’s youngest son, Prince Harry, to show that he won’t stand for such exploitation of his late mother.
The musical, Wootton continued, was “crude, offensive, anti-monarchy and counterfactual.” Though its depiction of Diana was controversial – Wootton added that her passion for charitable acts was shown to be just a way to get positive media attention – other members of the royal family were hit equally hard. Queen Elizabeth in particular was made out to be villainous and bitter.
Wootton went on to note that Harry had ruthlessly fought against media portrayals of his mother that exploited, demeaned, or misinterpreted her legacy for profit. “Over the weekend his new US paymasters did exactly that in the most outrageous fashion.” Now that one of those media organizations using his mother’s memory has essentially become his boss, will Harry go after them in some way? Wootton taunted, “If he fails to speak out against such a horrendous depiction of his mother, then he is tacitly endorsing it.”
Claiming that Harry “will only exercise the right to try and protect his mother’s memory if it suits his political purposes,” Wootton insisted that “Hollywood Harry” has become a “prince of hypocrisy and greed.” The only way Wootton would walk back his comments would be if Harry resigned from Netflix.
It’s true that both Prince Williams and Harry are fiercely protective of their mother’s memory, and it’s also very true that Harry now finds himself in an awkward position. Will he condemn the production’s inaccurate depictions of his family, or will he let it go? After all, Netflix has long run another historically inaccurate show about the British royal family, The Crown, prior to Harry joining the company.
It’s entirely possible that Harry has given up fighting depictions of his mother in entertainment media, which seems likely considering the fact that there are three different actresses portraying Diana in various films and shows. Regardless, it will be interesting to see if Harry takes this writer’s bait and makes a move about the musical.