A former staffer of Queen Elizabeth II is slamming two of three portrayals of the late monarch in “The Crown.”
The finale of the Netflix series, which dropped Thursday, shows Imelda Staunton, Olivia Colman, and Claire Foy gathering at St. George’s Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth was buried last year.
The three actresses play the queen at different times in her life in “The Crown.” Her real-life former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, was not impressed by Staunton and Colman’s characterizations.
“I don’t remember her being glum and boring,” Arbiter, 83, told Deadline of the queen played by Staunton, 67. “Glum if there was a death in the family or one of the dogs had to be put down, but she was playing glum and boring right the way through.”
Arbiter also stated that he did not recognize the “drawn” woman Colman, 49, played.
“I don’t remember her being glum and boring,” Arbiter told Deadline of the queen played by Staunton. “Glum if there was a death in the family or one of the dogs had to be put down, but she was playing glum and boring right the way through.” PeacockThe Post reached out to Staunton and Colman reps for comment.
Arbiter did concede that Staunton managed to capture the queen’s essence when she delivered a stirring address following the 1997 death of Princess Diana — a speech Arbiter shaped in a pivotal way.
The royal commentator says his favorite depiction of the monarch came from Foy, 39, who played the young queen on Seasons 1 and 2.
Foy’s portrayal earned her a Golden Globe, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Arbiter said he found the “Women Talking” star’s acting to be “brilliant.”
Season 6 of “The Crown” was released in two parts. Episodes 1-4 dropped Nov. 16, while episodes 5-10 debuted Thursday. Netflix Elizabeth Debicki, who portrays Diana on Seasons 5 and 6, assured fans and critics last month that the cast and crew tried to tell Diana’s story right. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett CollectionArbiter has been vocal about his distaste for certain elements of “The Crown,” which premiered in 2016.
Just last month, he slammed show creator Peter Morgan for “dramatic license gone bonkers” over Morgan’s depiction of Diana’s untimely passing and how Prince Charles (played by Dominic West) ultimately delivered the news to Princes Harry and William.
“The sequence of Charles telling his sons of their mother’s death was so insensitive, it was so unnecessary,” Arbiter explained. “The death of their mother is still raw with both of them.”
For his part, Morgan said actually showing Diana’s death in a car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris was out of the question.
“Oh, God, we were never going to show the crash. Never,” said Morgan, 60.
“The Crown” premiered in 2016. Des Willie/NetflixElizabeth Debicki, who portrays Diana on Seasons 5 and 6, assured fans and critics last month that the cast and crew tried to tell Diana’s story right.
“We tried our very best to do [the story] properly,” she said. “My message is just — thank you for sticking with the show, thank you for watching it. I hope that we give you what you need from it.”
Season 6 of “The Crown” was released in two parts. Episodes 1-4 dropped Nov. 16, while episodes 5-10 debuted Thursday.
