The Crown: Dominic West says Netflix users can watch a documentary if they don’t like ‘imaginative speculation’

Dominic West has hit back at critics of The Crown as the Netflix series returns for a fifth season on Wednesday 9 November.

The actor, 54, from Sheffield, plays Prince Charles alongside a star-studded cast including Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce and Elizabeth Debicki as they portray the British Royal Family.

Set in the 1990s, the latest installment will depict the breakdown of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage as well as the Princess of Wales’ death. The Crown has been met with criticism as the highly publicised situation was very sensitive.

Royal Family supporters have called for the show to feature a disclaimer clarifying that it is fictional, however this is something that the streaming giant has refused for previous seasons.

Dominic West described the new season as “a drama” while speaking to Sky News at the London premiere of season five. He defended the series and explained that he tackled a great deal of research before taking on the role of the future king.

Dominic said: "It's a drama, an imaginative speculation in a way.

“I watched every documentary that has ever been made about my character, and there are plenty of those that people can watch if you don’t want to watch what a great dramatist has created imaginatively.”

The new season returns to screens just two months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and filming was in progress when the news of her passing was announced.

Dominic continued: "I think a lot of sensibilities have obviously been stirred up after the death of the Queen, but this is a show that has always courted controversy the closer that it’s got to our own times.”

"Everyone has very strong opinions, we all have our memories and our opinions of those times and I think people who tune in to watch it are ultimately open to having that challenged or confirmed in whatever way that may be," he continued.

He added that this season is set to be The Crown’s most “tumultuous” yet.

The time-jump in season five focuses heavily on Diana during one of the most scandalous times for the Royal Family, from the unravelling of her toxic relationship to the famous Panorama interview.

Actress Elizabeth Debicki, 32, believes the season is “fair to both parties” when concerning Charles and Diana’s divorce.

"I think all great drama has the possibility to bring understanding and empathy and connection to the very human elements of the story," she added.