Prince Philip death joke on Netflix comedy special 'too far' say viewers

Prince Philip's death was joked about on a Netflix comedy special and viewers have expressed anguish at the language used. Although some viewers say the joke was too disrespectful to the Queen's late husband, others are also seeing the funny side.

• 'Death To 2021' is a satirical mockumentary featuring the year's memorable news stories, which included the death of Prince Philip aged 99.
• Some fans find making fun of the late Duke's passing distasteful as the Queen faces her first New Year as a widow.
• In other royal news, Sarah Ferguson snubbed by royal family on Christmas day—including her own daughters

A new Netflix comedy special has been criticized for making fun of one of 2021's most notable events, when Prince Philip died aged 99 at Windsor Castle.

Death To 2021 premiered on Netflix on December 27 and is the second installment of the satirical mockumentary—the first being Death To 2020, released last year.

The special, written by famous comedy writers Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, stars world-famous actors including Hugh Grant and Lucy Liu. 

Its synopsis reads, "The documentary-style special mixes archival footage harvested from across the year with commentary from fictitious characters played by some of the world’s most beloved actors."

Although the characters may be fictional, the real-life stories they discuss aren't. After showing clips of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah, the narrator referenced the late Duke of Edinburgh.

They said, “After the interview, Prince Philip withdraws from public life permanently, by dying." Adding, "Millions watched the funeral of his Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke Of Deadinburgh."

“Prince Phillip withdraws from public life permanently by dying” #DeathTo2021 was wrong for this one,"  tweeted one viewer. "The delivery was just dark #DeathTo2021," said another.

One viewer added, "Absolutely tasteless!"

However, some really enjoyed watching it and, despite the jokes being a bit close to the bone, are raving about it. "What a surprise #DeathTo2021 was! Turned it on by mistake, have a very good laugh! Although not sure how they got away with some of the commentary," tweeted one fan.

Another added, "Watched 'Death to 2021'. Quite good. (I do feel for satirists at the moment, with the world doing their job for them.)"