The Crown has barely been back on screen for a few days and already there's plenty of chatter around some of the show's more, err, scandalous storylines. From Prince Philip's rumoured affair with Penny Knatchbull and the infamous tampon-gate to a scene in which the then-Prince Charles plots to overthrow the Queen, so far season five has left us questioning what was really going on behind the palace doors.
It's the suggestion that Charles attempted to oust his own mum that has triggered a backlash, particularly with some critics who claim that this never actually happened (more on that later). But, with the show being a fictionalised telling of true events, it's hard to know what's fact and what's fiction when it comes to The Crown.
With that in mind, here's everything we know about King Charles' supposed plot to overthrow the Queen...
What happens in The Crown between Charles and the Queen?
In episode one of The Crown season five, royal aides working closely with the Queen attempt to hide copies of The Sunday Times. An article in the paper includes the results of a public vote, which found that the nation wanted Her Majesty to abdicate with Charles taking over the throne.
Understandably, Her Majesty is pretty upset about this and confides in husband Philip about her disappointment. Meanwhile, Prince Charles – who has also gotten wind of the article – sets up a meeting with UK Prime Minister, Sir John Major. During the meeting, the pair discuss the results of the vote and whether Charles should set in motion a plan for Her Majesty to abdicate the throne.
Did Charles actually plan to overthrow the Queen?
According to Major, he and Charles never had a discussion about overthrowing the Queen, as The Crown suggests. In fact, the former PM told the Mail on Sunday that the storyline is a "barrel load of malicious nonsense".
"Sir John has not co-operated in any way with The Crown. Nor has he ever been approached by them to fact-check any script material in this or any other series," a statement from his office read.
"As you will know, discussions between the monarch and prime minister are entirely private and – for Sir John – will always remain so. But not one of the scenes you depict are accurate in any way whatsoever. They are fiction, pure and simple."
In response, a spokesperson for The Crown defended the hit show. "The Crown has always been presented as a drama based on historical events," they said. "Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors during a significant decade for the Royal Family – one that has already been scrutinised and well-documented by journalists, biographers and historians."
Make of that what you will!
Season five of The Crown is available to stream on Netflix from 9 November.
