'The Crown' creator Peter Morgan dating Princess Diana's friend Jemima Goldsmith

Peter Morgan, the creator of "The Crown" which has been severely criticised for its portrayal of Princess Diana, has started dating socialite Jemima Goldsmith, a close friend of the late British royal.

"They (Jemima and Peter) have been seeing each other happily since the New Year. They are old friends and are now in what they call a legit support bubble," a source told Mail Online.

Princess Diana knew Goldsmith most of her life as their families were quite close, and even saw Lady Annabel Goldsmith "like a mother." ITV's Royal Correspondent Chris Ship said that Diana used to take her sons, Prince William and Harry, to play at Goldsmith's large property in Richmond Park, south-west London.

Just months ahead of her death in 1997, Diana had gone to visit Goldsmith in Pakistan for advice when she was considering marrying British-Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. The socialite was in the south Asian country back then with her then-husband cricketer Imran Khan, who is currently the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Hasnat is a distant cousin of Imran and Diana often sought Goldsmith for advice on their relationship.

The news of the relationship comes just weeks after Morgan's split from actress Gillian Anderson, who portrayed former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher on "The Crown." Goldsmith is a friend of Anderson as well.

Morgan and Goldsmith are believed to have moved in together. According to the report, Anderson is "shocked" at the speed her ex has moved on from their four-year-long relationship after they split in mid-December.

A friend of Anderson explained that Jemima has been "trying to make it happen for quite some time" as "she has been into Peter for a long time," but it all happened very quickly for Anderson to process.

"But a couple of weeks before getting together is not a long time, especially after four years together. Hence the bemusement on Gillian's part. There was a bit of a process before Gillian and Peter split but nevertheless, this has all happened very quickly and has been quite a surprise," the insider said.

The report says Morgan and Anderson have remained "great friends" after their split.

There are also speculations if Morgan's new relationship with Goldsmith will influence Princess Diana's portrayal in "The Crown." Season five of the hit Netflix series, which starts from the late eighties and goes into the 1990s, might also feature the princess' friendship with Goldsmith and her romance with Hasnat Khan.