Biographer says Elizabeth Debicki's performance in The Crown is 'like being in the room' with Diana

Biographer Andrew Morton, famed for his Princess Diana biography Diana: Her True Story - In Her Own Words, has shared his opinion on The Crown and its portrayal of the late royal. Morton knew Princess Diana personally as he interviewed her in secret for the biography. 

In a recent interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Morton shared his views on the Netflix series and actor Elizabeth Debicki’s portrayal of Princess Diana. Calling her performance “astonishing” and Golden Globe-worthy, he said: “It was like being in the room with Diana.

“I don’t say this lightly, but that performance really conveys the Diana that I got to know for a couple of years in the early 1990s."

Princess Diana’s secret interviews with Morton form part of The Crown’s latest series and he added he’d seen the Netflix show’s depiction of the moment, a moment which “struck” him. 

He said: “The paper that I typed the book on was the same paper. The typeface was the same. The attention to detail was astounding.

“I’m really quite blown away by it." 

Morton also shared that he has previously served as a consultant for The Crown, however he had nothing to do with the scripts themselves. 

Speaking to Time yesterday, he said: “[The screenwriters] kept their cards very close and didn’t involve me in the script writing process. They just wanted the factual detail.” 

The fifth and most recent series of The Crown was released on Netflix yesterday. Spanning the 1990s, the latest season delves into the breakdown of Princess Diana and King Charles’ marriage and her tragic death in Paris - though producers have confirmed they will “not show the exact moment of the crash impact.”

Elizabeth Debicki takes over from actor Emma Corrin as Princess Diana, in line with The Crown’s decision to recast its actors to emphasise the passage of time throughout the series. 

King Charles, then a Prince at the time period the show depicts, will be portrayed by Dominic West following Josh O’Connor's award-winning turn as the royal, joined by Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Philip and Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret.

The Crown season 5 is streaming on Netflix now.