Al Fayed and The Crown

[Cambridge Away]

Now that 'The Crown' has ended what did everyone make of the depiction of our famous/beloved ex-Chairman? He seemed to be depicted as a bit of a devious and meddling (yet loving) father, who after Dodi's death went against the establishment with almost zero foundation for his accusations. And who got so angry at the judgement that went against him that he left the UK in response. From what i remember, didn't he leave the UK so as to avoid the high taxes here and because of his lack of passport?

The Sun and the Guardian seemed quite universal in panning the final series, which they felt was too recent news to be revisited. They kept on referencing Diana's "ghost" as a cheap jibe agains the writers, missing the point that it wasn't actually a "ghost". I found it strange that the Sun has trashed The Crown throughout, when the series clearly make out the Royal Family to be more relatable than they actually are. I guess it wasn't biased enough for them. And as for The Sun's arch nemesis Prince Harry, i thought the show made him seem a lot darker as a youth than what i remember of him (as simply a lost and confused young man).

With that reference to Harry in mind, can it not be said that The Crown perhaps pandered a little to popular consensus in making Harry and Al Fayed out to be antagonists in the show (with no real redeeming qualities)? Going by the show, our "Al Fayed" chant sounds a little anti-monarchist at this time. Perhaps i've missed that it always was?

[RaySmith]

Funny, I've just been watching the Crown, with Al Fayed making his speech about Diana and his son being murdered by operatives of the Royal family, and wondered about posting something on here.

Earlier in this series, and in previous series we've viewed his desperation to become a Brit- we see him using Dodi and his relationship with Diana to finally get the British passport he so covets - if they get married.
When Dodi finally pops the question with a ridiculously expensive ring, under   pressure from his Dad, Diana is appalled.

The Al Fayeds are seen as complicit in Diana's death, with her being persuaded to fly back to Britain in their private  jet, rather than the BA flight she has booked, and then  they divert to Paris - because its the only place where  that particular ring can be  bought.

We see  the incredible, scary hounding by the paps every time they leave a building, with no apparent security:
then on the fateful night, Dodi's driver has to be pulled out of the bar where he is boozing, because Diana decides  she wants to leave the Ritz and go back to the apartment, late at night.
And the rest is history.

Al Fayed  was always an anti-establishment figure, though he wanted so much to become part of it, but they didn't want him, as the series makes very clear, and our chants for Al Fayed show an identification with his outsider-ness I think, which we identify with as Fulham fans.

Well, Fulham having money and doing well, rising up into the Prem is against the script which says that clubs like Fulham should be happy to jog along in the lower leagues, and Al Fayed rejected this idea, and we loved him for it, and he did create the Fulham of today, always in and around the Prem.

I have mostly enjoyed this latest, last, series of the Crown, as i have the rest of it - think it's  been great, a real social history of this country for a start, lavishly made,  very well acted.

Did see how this latest series was slagged off by some, and thought this unfair- not sure where they are coming from - a bee in the bonnet about portraying real people still alive? but I think the Royals come out of this very well: an affectionate portrayal i think, especially of the late Queen, though even Margaret is very sensitively portrayed, i think.

[filham]

I found The Crown very enjoyable and portrayed royal hist0ry quite well'
However there were some matters that had to be treated as fiction, can you really imagine the queen consulting Tony Blair on how to modernise the monarchy. Similarly details of the Dodi/Diana relationship were probably fictionalised.

The actor who played MAF did a great job and whatever the  public think of MAF make no mistake he did a great job for Fulham and must remain our hero.

[Stoneleigh Loyalist]

The problem with The Crown from my point of view is that people on here and all over the country are discussing it as fact and not the fictionalised account of the writer. Yes all of the characters are true but no one actually knows the truth of what happened at any stages of the whole series.i have watched it mainly to see how well the characters were played and in the main they have all done well but as for the storyline apart from the details which we all knew I have taken the story with a pinch of salt. In my working life I had close business connections with Al Fayed and the Harrods organisation and I do know that in the main he always got what he wanted (except for UK citizenship). He was also hard to please.
Our view of Macbeth, Richard 111 and Queen Elizabeth is generally influenced by the writings of Shakespeare rather than historical documents and fact and I would hate the views of our Monarchy to be taken from The Crown and not what the future will reveal as nearer the truth than we know at present.

[H4usuallysitting]

Probably the ultimate dysfunctional family.....will they ever modernise - if we have to have a monarchy, why cant it be similar to Spain

[perry geyton]

Great show,  brilliant character acting, The episode when the bloke made his way into the queens bedroom was out standing, could of been a film all by itself

[Fulham Tup North]

I have never watched The Crown... but I always felt that Mo always tried to blame the Royal family to remove questions about his employee being permitted to drive whilst 'over the limit'... as the thought that to lose his son in such a way was even more tragic...
IMHO...

[cookieg]

Surely this will be the go to source of information for future history degree students.

[filham]

Most historic litrature is a good mix of fact and fiction , The Crown is better than most others.
Also remember that wherever war is concerned the history is usually written by the victors, a great deal of history is questionable.