Former staff members of the royal family who served under Camilla and Charles have hit back against Netflix’s depictions of the couple. Royal insiders and commentators have lashed out against The Crown for its portrayal of royal events, accusing the show’s producers of “trolling on a Hollywood budget”. The latest season of the Netflix smash hit focuses on Charles and Princess Diana’s tumultuous relationship and Queen Elizabeth II’s encounters with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Deborah Mitchell, founder of Heaven Skincare and Camilla’s facialist for 14 years, told Insider she was surprised how much she warmed to the Duchess.
She said: “I was a real Diana fan until I met the duchess, I really was. I wasn’t expecting that she would be absolutely lovely in real life.
“She’s a very thoughtful person, she’s very much for women’s rights, and when she does any charity work, she does it because she wants to. Not because she has to, or for the fame.
“She doesn’t do anything for any other reason than that it’s the right thing to do.”
READ MORE: Camilla shows off bond with Queen in ‘sweet nod’ to monarch’s corgis with Christmas gift
The former royal worker then recalled when she visited Camilla in Birkhall, where the Duchess lent Ms Mitchell some warm clothes.
She added: “The duchess walked in with this brown jumper on, and I said to her that it was lovely.
“That day, she sent one of her people out to get the jumper and give it to me.”
Ms Mitchell also said Netflix could do more in signalling to viewers The Crown is fictional, but added Camilla is not too concerned about public opinion.
Harrold and Ms Mitchell are the latest former staff members to speak out against The Crown’s depiction of Charles and Camilla.
Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press secretary told True Royalty TV the show should come with a “health warning” due to its many inaccuracies.
Speaking about the show’s depiction of Charles as having an affair on Diana with Camilla from the start of their relationship, he said: “I remember going on tour just after they got married in 1981 and she was the first Princess of Wales in about 80 years, so it was a big deal.
“They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Charles used to pat her bum regularly. There were times when he would even squeeze it, even in Australia.
“There was a relationship from the beginning. There was genuine love and happiness there.”
The newest series of The Crown has led to a surge of support for Diana in the wake of its release.
As a result of their on-screen portrayal, Charles and Camilla’s Twitter account has blocked replies to posts.
Royal author Clive Irving also recently said to Express.co.uk Camilla will “stay in the background” should Charles become King due to her image as the “Diana destroyer”.
He added: “I think the Queen at one point very much saw her in that light. She was very distressed about Camilla being the one who was undermining the marriage of the Waleses.”
