PHIL'S FURY
Prince Philip wanted to sue The Crown after episode blaming him for the death of his sister left him ‘very upset’
PRINCE Philip wanted to sue The Crown after an episode of the hit show blamed him for the death of his sister, a royal expert revealed.
The Duke of Edinburgh spoke to his lawyers after Netflix's depiction of Princess Cecilie's death in a plane crash left him deeply “upset”.
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Hugo Vickers, a royal historian and author, told The Sunday Times: “I know Prince Philip consulted his lawyer about it, to ask ‘What can I do about it?’
"He was very upset about the way that was portrayed. He was human. He could be hurt like anybody else.”
Cecilie, 26, had given birth while in the air shortly before her plane crashed into a factory tower in Belgium in November 1937.
The baby's body was found in the wreckage alongside her husband and two young sons near Ostend.
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Prince Philip later recalled his "profound shock" when he was called into his headmaster's office to be told his sister had died.
The Crown portrays her decision to fly from Germany to London as a reaction to Philip, then 16, having problems at school, but this was not the case.
And a scene dramatising Cecilie’s funeral shows their father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, say: “I’m surprised he dare show himself here.
"Had it not been for Philip and his indiscipline she would never have taken that flight. It’s true, isn’t it boy?
"You’re the reason we’re all here burying my favourite child. Get him out of here.”
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The imagined scenes came in the penultimate episode of the second series, first broadcast in 2017, and did not have a fictional disclaimer.
Prince Philip was "so upset", according to a close pal.
He contacted royal lawyers Farrer & Co over the scenes, according to the Sunday Times, but did not pursue any action.
It is the latest in a string of controversies sparked by The Crown, which has been accused of broadcasting sensationalised storylines.
Bosses are also under fire over scenes suggesting Prince Philip - portrayed by Jonathan Pryce - had an affair with a female friend.
And the show recreates Diana's final tragic moments in Paris, with her former butler alleging Princess Diana would be "screaming" at how she is portrayed elsewhere in the show,
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The fifth season has even ignored heartfelt pleas from Prince William not to exploit the notorious Martin Bashir Panorama interview with his mum.
And Prince Harry could sue The Crown - or use a secret tactic to influence Netflix on future episodes, experts have claimed.
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