Joanna Lumley slams The Crown as 'laughable' and 'rubbish'

Joanna Lumley has shared her strong thoughts on the popular royal series

Joanna Lumley slams The Crown as 'laughable' and 'rubbish'
(Image credit: Getty)

Joanna Lumley has shared her strong opinions on The Crown, branding the popular series as 'laughable' in a recent interview. 


She may be an avid Royal Family nerd, but when it comes to The Crown, Joanna Lumley simply isn't interested. 

Speaking to Women's Weekly on Thursday, the Absolutely Fabulous star took aim at the popular Netflix show's plotlines—dismissing the entire script "all made up". 

“I know them [the Royal Family], so I know it’s all made up and it’s rubbish," she said. “All the poor actors who are doing their best to copy them, it’s awful. Imagine somebody making up conversations they think you’ve had.” 

The sharp comments come just a few weeks after the release of Joanna's new book, A Queen of All Seasons, in which she details the Queen's sensitive gesture towards a 'trembling' guest

Joanna, who's a loyal friend of Prince Charles, is far from the first person to criticize the Emmy-award-winning royal drama. 

With filming for The Crown Season Five underway, questions surrounding the show's accuracy—as well as its ethics—appear to be mounting. 

In November, British screenwriter Jemima Khan cut ties with the series after disagreeing with its treatment of the Princess Diana 'drama' that shook that Palace. Prince William is also believed to be ‘frustrated’ with BBC for ‘helping’ The Crown with a controversial scene amid recent tension

The fifth season of The Crown, which is set to be released in December 2022, will see a major cast shake-up—with Imelda Staunton taking over Olivia Coleman's role as the Queen and Elizabeth Debicki joining as Princess Diana. Dominic West will play Prince Charles, while his son, Senan, will make his acting debut as a young Prince William. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.