Princess Diana's former bodyguard claims royal family watches fictional shows on themselves

Fictionalised shows and movies about the British royal family have a huge fan base, garnering viewers from all across the world wanting a peek into the private life of the popular family. Netflix hit original "The Crown" remains one of the most-watched shows on the streaming platform, and recently-released Kristen-Stewart starrer "Spencer" also turned out to be a huge success.

According to a former royal protection officer, members of the royal family also contribute to the number of viewers of these regal dramas. Supporters of the family including some MPs have been calling on for a boycott of "The Crown," but the family itself likes to watch it to check how accurate it is.

Ken Wharfe, who served as a bodyguard for Princess Diana from 1988 to 1993, said that the royals love to watch TV shows and movies about themselves. He said in a conversation with OK! magazine, "The royals love that stuff. They will watch it and they have no fear of that. They're watching it to see how true it is or how untrue it is."

However, Wharfe added that "The Crown" did bother the royals because of the way they have portrayed the family members particularly Prince Charles and Princess Diana. He explained, "Peter Morgan [creator of The Crown] has said himself that this isn't a documentary of truthful facts. Some of it is truthful and some of it has a license to draw people in."

"I thought that Emma Corrin's portrayal of Diana was brilliant. There wasn't a great physical likeness, but she mastered the mannerisms, her walk, and her speech. But one thing's for certain, Diana didn't roller skate around Buckingham Palace," he added.

The fifth season of the controversial series, which is due to air next year, will show one of the most turbulent times in recent history. Covering the early 90s, it will focus on the breakdown of the marriages of Prince Charles and Diana as well as Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, and a devastating fire at Windsor Castle in 1992, which the Queen dubbed her "annus horribilis".

The later years of the 90s, in which Diana gave her famous interview to BBC Panorama, and her tragic death a year later in a car accident, will also be part of the show.