If Prince Harry’s memoir had hit the shelves earlier, it might have added another layer of complexity to the portrayal of the Royal family in Netflix’s The Crown. Annie Sulzberger, the head of research for the series, shared with The Telegraph that if the book had been released a year prior, it could have served as a valuable source for the production. However, she emphasized the cautious approach her research team takes when considering first-person accounts as historical facts.
While acknowledging the potentially useful details in the memoir, Sulzberger stated, “There were nice details in there that I think were useful and, had we got it a year earlier, maybe it would have made more of a difference.” She underscored the team’s meticulousness in their research process.
Prince Harry’s media engagements for the promotion of “Spare,” released in January, coincided with the final filming stages of The Crown’s sixth and concluding season. The series covered significant events, including the tragic murder of Princess Diana, her relationship with Dodi Al Fayed, William and Harry’s teenage years, and Prince William’s introduction to Kate Middleton at St. Andrew’s University. The last episodes were released in two parts during November and December.
Sulzberger clarified that, despite the timing, the team did not reshoot any scenes due to the release of Harry’s book. However, certain details from the memoir did impact the program, such as insights into the setup of “Club H,” the exclusive nightclub constructed by Prince Charles for his sons at his Highgrove home. Sulzberger explained, “It came out in time for some of the episodes where we show the Highgrove party and H Club, we were able to get a little bit of a sense of like ‘oh, it’s in a basement and there’s a light’ and those sorts of things.”
Prince Harry’s memoir, offering an insider’s perspective, continues to be a topic of interest, raising questions about its potential influence on future depictions of the Royal family in media.
