The actors involved in The Crown Season 5 have begun promotion for the series. They’ve all been biting their tongues when it came to the months-long tantrum from King Charles and his allies. Now they’re getting a chance to speak, and what’s great is that Netflix must have told them “you can say whatever you want, we’re not issuing talking points.” Netflix’s official position on King Charles is clearly: f–k around and find out. They’re not backing down, and Netflix executives are openly discussing Charles’s coordinated smear campaign with the trade papers. It’s glorious. Some highlights from this terrific Deadline piece, which features quotes from Leslie Manville (Princess Margaret), Jonathan Pryce (Prince Philip) and unnamed Netflix execs.

Jonathan Pryce on The Crown’s critics, including Judi Dench: Pryce told Deadline he’s ”bitterly disappointed” by those he termed “my fellow artistes,” for publicly criticizing the drama and demanding it carry a disclaimer. Oscar-nominee Pryce argued that “the vast majority of people know it’s a drama. They’ve been watching it for four seasons.” He conceded that he understood John Major “voicing his disquiet because he was there.” But he added: “I’m hugely disappointed by my fellow artistes.”

Leslie Manville on all of the anger & angst towards The Crown: Manville said that the ongoing hostility towards the Netflix and Left Bank series was ”certainly heightened” by the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. Manville told Deadline, “There is, and for my part as well, a great deal of compassion towards the Queen, and depths of feeling that she is no longer with us. That has certainly heightened it all.” One important factor, Manville added, was the need to keep reminding viewers “that it’s a drama.”

On Judi Dench & John Major trashing ‘The Crown’: Many at Netflix were surprised at the interventions, not least because those shouting the loudest hadn’t seen advance previews of The Crown, and were relying on reports that were often misleading. One executive involved with the series whispered aloud the thought that the outbursts from Judi Dench and John Major were coordinated by “friends” of King Charles III. If so, we’ll never know.

Pryce on how Prince Philip treated his wife: There’s plenty of tension between them in season 5 with the Duke of Edinburgh being, at times, quite mean to the queen. “No more than anybody else’s husband,” Pryce shot back. “I don’t think he was mean. I’d have to watch it again. I think what you see is this long relationship where Philip, maybe, has had an image that he is always prepared to move forward, and questioning, and questing,” the former Game Of Thrones actor told us. He added that while Philip clearly loved the queen, perhaps, he ”would have liked her to be a bit more changeable, a bit more looking towards the future.”

[From Deadline]

“One executive involved with the series whispered aloud the thought that the outbursts from Judi Dench and John Major were coordinated by ‘friends’ of King Charles III” – lol, ya think?? Charles hasn’t hidden it, just like he didn’t hide his campaign two years ago, against Season 4. Charles and his people are openly briefing the British media against The Crown, and Buckingham Palace has clearly coordinated with Judi Dench, John Major and various Tory elders. Not to mention the open collusion between the king’s court and the British tabloids, all of which have been dutifully performing their outrage at a Netflix show for… filming scenes in Europe. I love that Jonathan Pryce is outraged too, and disgusted with Judi Dench for becoming a pawn of Charles and Camilla. Let Jonathan Pryce speak more! I want to hear all of his gossip.

Photos courtesy of Robert Gladden / Avalon, Cover Images and Netflix.