Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has expressed concerns about the most recent series of The Crown, specifically claiming the show should be more explicit about its fictional elements.

The fourth season of the royal Netflix drama debuted earlier this month, and received rave reviews from critics.

However, others – including presenter Piers Morgan and Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer – have called out the show for not being clear enough about certain storylines that could be interpreted as factual, despite being invented purely for the show.

Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), told the Mail On Sunday: “[The Crown] is a beautifully produced work of fiction, so as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that.

“Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact.” 

The most recent series of The Crown introduces both Princess Diana and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, played by Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson, respectively.

Dowden’s statement echoes comments from Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, who recently told Lorraine Kelly: “I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that: ‘This isn’t true but it is based around some real events’.

“I worry people do think [the show] is gospel, and that’s unfair.”

Responding to reports claiming the real-life royals were “not happy” with the way certain events were depicted on screen, Emma Corrin said last week: “I think for everyone in the The Crown, we always try and remind everyone that the series we are in is fictionalised, to a great extent.

“Obviously it has its roots in reality and in some fact, but Peter Morgan’s scripts are works of fiction.”

All four series of The Crown are now available to watch on Netflix.