4 Corners roasts Netflix series The Crown over inaccuracies

An Aussie news program featured in the latest series of The Crown has pointed out a series of mistakes, saying “we’re in the business of facts”.

Australian investigative news program 4 Corners has roasted Netflix royal series The Crown over a series of inaccuracies in their latest series.

Series four of the wildly popular, semi-factual drama about the lives of the British Royal family follows the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, including their 1983 trip to Australia.

One episode features a recreation of a 4 Corners interview with former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, played by Richard Roxburgh, as he discusses the coming royal tour. In the interview, Mr Hawke, who is depicted as the yet-to-be elected Prime Minister, refers to the Queen as a “pig”, to rapturous laughter from the Australian audience.

However, 4 Corners claim the late Mr Hawke never said the offensive line about the Queen, and The Crown got the date of the interview wrong.

“Hey @netflix Huge fan,” 4 Corners wrote in a tweet. “While we’re loving the fact that you’ve featured us in @TheCrownNetflix, we’re in the business of facts and there are a few things we want to clear up.”

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Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke (left) and Richard Roxburgh in The Crown. Picture: 4 Corners

(4/4) And while we’ve enjoyed your creative license, Hawke did not call the Queen a pig on our show and say, "You wouldn't put a pig in charge of a herd of prime beef cattle, even if it does look good in twin set and pearls." Here's what he really said. Thnx again @netflix! pic.twitter.com/0JY8sEOB5C

— 4corners (@4corners) November 25, 2020

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“Firstly, the 1983 Bob Hawke interview you recreated in season 4 was in fact from Feb 12, not Feb 26. We went back and found a TV guide just to check our archivists are as sharp as we thought, and they’re spot on (see attached. Thnx @canberratimes and @TroveAustralia).

“And while we’ve enjoyed your creative license, Hawke did not call the Queen a pig on our show and say, “You wouldn‘t put a pig in charge of a herd of prime beef cattle, even if it does look good in twin set and pearls.” Here’s what he really said. Thnx again @netflix!”

Mr Hawke died in May of last year at age 89.

Series four of The Crown has been accused by some critics of straying away from the truth and villianising members of the royal family.

Princess Diana, played by Emma Corrin, is portrayed as an innocent, tortured and miserable young bride to Charles, who is both harassed and neglected by members of the royal family.

Charles’ affair with his now wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, played by Emerald Fennell, is depicted as a hostile attack on Diana’s romantic naivety.

The creator of The Crown, Peter Morgan, has defended the show together saying research backs up what is seen on screen.

“I made up in my head – whether it’s right or wrong –- what we know is that Mountbatten was really responsible for taking Charles to one side at precisely this point and saying, ‘Look, you know, enough already with playing the field. It’s time you got married and it’s time you provided an heir,’” Morgan said.

“I think everything that’s in the letter that Mountbatten writes to Charles is what I really believe – you know, based on everything I’ve read and people I’ve spoken to, that that represents his view.

“We will never know if it was put into a letter, and we will never know if Charles got that letter before or after Mountbatten’s death but in this particular drama, this is how I decided to deal with it,” he said.