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Sir Julian Fellowes says that The Crown's portrayal of Prince Philip was 'unfair'
He said that he doesn't feel 'comfortable' with dramatising living people
Claims that the character in the Netflix drama was 'based on very little'

Published: 07:58 EDT, 29 June 2018 | Updated: 08:30 EDT, 29 June 2018

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Downton Abbey's creator Sir Julian Fellowes has criticised fellow period drama The Crown for its 'unfair' portrayal of the Duke of Edinburgh.

The director appeared on Katie Couric's podcast where he discussed his admiration of the drama's writer Peter Morgan but admitted he felt 'uncomfortable' about certain aspects.

When asked about his thoughts on the Netflix drama he said: 'It's a wonderful piece of work, it was very very well done it was beautifully acted beautifully written.

'But For me, I'm not completely comfortable with dramatising people who are still alive and still living their lives. Because I think it's possible to be unfair.

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Sir Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, says that he thinks that the portrayal of the Duke of Edinburgh in The Crown was 'unfair'

'And in the second series, I didn't think it was fair to Prince Philip, to the Duke of Edinburgh (played by Matt Smith), based on very little.'

He continued: 'Now I'll be punished for that because it's a great success and it deserves to be.

'I think when people are still alive, living their lives, doing a good job and popular and loved, do they deserve it? And in that sense, I'm not sure they do.'

Following his controversial comments Katie asks whether a lot of artistic license was taken in the story lines.

Sir Fellowes says: 'You're getting me into a tricky area here.

Sir Fellowes said that the portrayal of Prince Philip, played by Matt Smith (pictured with Claire Foy as the Queen) 'was based on very little'

The director added that he isn't comfortable with people being dramatised when they are still alive as the Duke was

'I think that a lot of it was based on obviously very good research, but some of it was not.

'Some of it was extrapolation from a rumour or someone's rather prejudiced account. And then it was presented as fact and I'm not sure that's just.'

He then adds: 'But I am a big fan of Peter Morgan and I think he is the best writer on television at the moment.'

The Crown has previously faced criticism over a 'monstrous lie' back in December 2017 which appeared to blame the Duke of Edinburgh for his sister's death.

Julian added that while a lot of the drama was based on 'very good research' he thinks a 'lot of it was not'

In a tragedy that has always haunted Philip, his sister Princess Cecile, eight months pregnant with her third child, was killed in a plane crash in 1937 while flying from Germany to London.

But the writers of the £100 million Netflix series, which chronicles the Queen’s life, have invented a scene in which Philip’s father cruelly turns on him at the funeral, saying: ‘You’re the reason we’re all here burying my favourite child.’

Royal historian Hugo Vickers called it a ‘monstrous lie’ adding: ‘This is a truly shocking invention since Prince Philip had nothing to do with his sister’s air flight to Britain. He was in no way responsible for the accident.’

Sir Julian Fellowes created Downton Abbey which ran for six series and is now working on his new series set in New York in the 1880s.

Downton Abbey became a success in the UK and in the US, running from 2010 until 2015, winning a collection of prestigious awards across the world, including Emmys, Golden Globes and a TV Bafta.