The Crown recreates Princess Diana final holiday on Mohamed Al Fayed’s yacht just weeks before her death – as snaps from drama also give a glimpse of Olivia Williams’ Camilla
The Crown will show Elizabeth Debicki‘s Princess Diana posing for paparazzi cameras while on a yacht on her final holiday just weeks before her death, newly released photos show.
The Australian actress slipped into a swimsuit as she filmed scenes of Princess Diana ‘s Mediterranean cruise with Dodi Al Fayed (played by Khalid Abdalla) in 1997.
Debicki, 33, looked stunning in a backless animal print halter-neck swimsuit as she filmed scenes for the sixth season of the Netflix drama on a replica of yacht Jonikal, owned by Dodi’s father Mohamed Al Fayed.
New photos also give viewers a glimpse into Diana’s romance with Dodi – while there are also snaps of Camilla – who will be played by Olivia Williams.
The actors filmed their scenes for the sixth and final series of the Netflix hit on the Spanish island of Majorca, which stood in for Saint-Tropez.
The Crown will show Elizabeth Debicki’s Princess Diana posing for paparazzi cameras while on a yacht on her final holiday just weeks before her death, newly released photos show. Diana is pictured left, Debicki right
New photos also give viewers a glimpse into Diana’s romance with Dodi – played by Khalid Abdalla
Debicki dons a Ralph Lauren shirt to recreate scenes from the show
New photos also offer a first glimpse of Olivia Williams as Camilla
The now Queen Camilla looks troubled in the new photos
Rufus Kampa – playing a teenage Prince William – walks through the Sandringham Estate in Barbour jacket
The adult stars were joined by Rufus Kampa, 16, who plays a young Prince William, and Will Powell as Prince Harry.
In the scenes, Debicki, donned a pair of stylish striped trousers similar to those Diana was pictured wearing several times, paired with a navy tank top and white boat shoes. Abdalla was in a multicoloured shirt and cream slacks.
Photos also appear to show both the Queen and Charles in a dark place following the Princess of Wales’s death.
Shots show Dominic West, as then then Prince Charles, looking sombre.
Imelda Staunton, as the Queen, looks serious over a breakfast conversation, before cuddling up with one of her pet corgis.
While, Rufus Kampa – playing a teenage Prince William – walks through the Sandringham Estate in Barbour jacket.
Another shot shows Diana looking sombre by a piano – while in another shot she controversially appears as a ghost in front of the Queen.
The new photos come as Peter Morgan’s biopic has faced further criticism for repeating claims Diana was pregnant when she died.
Photos also appear to show both the Queen and Charles in a dark place following the Princess of Wales’s death
Imelda Staunton, as the Queen, looks serious over a breakfast conversation
Imelda is seen with a corgi. The Queen – who owned many corgis throughout her life –
Imelda, playing the Queen, is seen in the same all black outfit she wore to Diana’s funeral
Jonathan Pryce is seen as Prince Philip in the final season
Leslie Manville is seen as Princess Margaret in the Crown
The Netflix series will also repeat unfounded claims that late Princess of Wales was ‘killed by an establishment plot’, a Netflix source confirmed to FEMAIL.
Harrods boss Mohamed Al-Fayed (played by Salim Daw) will be heard making the untrue claims that the royal was killed him a plot to stop her marrying his son Dodi , who died alongside her.
The character will also allege she was pregnant with their child.
‘This is likely to enrage the Prince of Wales, who has been upset by many Crown storylines that have featured his mother,’ a TV insider told The Sun .
‘After it emerged her 1996 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir was obtained by deception, William asked that it never be seen again.
Both the characters of Charles and the Queen appear stressed in the final season
One picture show Diana looking sombre by a yacht
Another shows the Princess appearing as a ghost to the Queen
There is also a glimpse into her love life with Dodi
‘But The Crown chose to recreate it against his express wishes. Hearing the claims about his mother’s pregnancy and the plot will feel like salt in the wound, particularly as so many of them have been debunked over the years.’]
Netflix has been contacted for comment.
It comes as Netflix‘s decision to allow Princess Diana‘s ghost to appear in front of her ex-husband Prince Charles and the late Queen in The Crown has been slammed by royal experts as ‘profoundly tasteless’ and ‘absolutely deplorable’.
Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki, will have an emotional reconciliation with a grieving Charles, played by Dominic West, in the sixth and final series of the show.
She then appears in phantom form again to Queen Elizabeth II, played by Imelda Staunton, as they discuss funeral arrangements with Charles – with her appearance seemingly reducing the Queen to tears in the series, which will air from next month.
But royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline that ‘the idea that they have even contemplated Diana as a ghost seems absolutely weird’, particularly considering the controversial elements already swirling around the show.
He also said Charles would stay silent on the portrayal, but Princes William and Harry could speak out. Brand and culture expert Nick Ede added that the brothers could be ‘appalled’ by the depiction of their late mother, and it would be ‘quite triggering’.
Images show Diana being hounded by paparazzi shortly before her death
Charles looks panicked following the death of Diana in the Crown
Mr Fitzwilliams said: ‘It is going to be a controversial series any ways with what they are already showing – the Panorama documentary, her death and the funeral – and in my opinion it should never have made this final series in the first place.
‘The whole idea that (show creator) Peter Morgan has scripted ghostly appearances by Diana is utterly tasteless. It is pitiful that someone with his skills has reduced what is undoubtedly a tragedy to something that he knows perfectly well will be controversial.
‘The idea that he has scripted a ghostly figure of the mother of Prince William and Harry is obviously tasteless and the whole concept, whatever the ghost says or does, seems utterly bizarre.’
Mr Fitzwilliams said Charles will remain silent on the portrayal but his two sons Princes Harry and William may speak out – after both criticised the BBC in 2021 over Martin Bashir’s infamous Panorama interview with Diana in 1995.
He added: ‘We may well hear what they think of the portrayal, but the trouble is if they do make a statement it will only add to the hype surrounding The Crown and there you have a problem.
‘If Prince William or Prince Harry were to comment on this it would make headlines and even more people would watch it than they intended to.
‘Whether they would watch such a thing, I have no idea of course. The King will make absolutely no comment at all. I think the Royal Family decided long ago what they think of The Crown – that it seems to have totally forsaken taste.’
In addition, Mr Ede told MailOnline: ‘The producers have said the Diana ghost portrays ‘visualisations of innermost thoughts’ but of course this will be quite triggering and could cause distress.
‘William and Harry I am sure will also find this difficult to acknowledge as they have no idea what Diana was feeling and where her emotions were during that time so this factional drama becomes one of fantasy and speculation which could appall the pair as it changes the narrative of the memory of their beloved mother.’
Mr Fitzwilliams went on to slam the production as a whole, claiming the portrayal of Diana’s phantom was nothing more than a publicity stunt and that the final series, which has already come under fire for recreating Diana’s death in Paris, should never have been made.
‘It also seems to be an attempt to get publicity and you get the impression that there is nothing they wouldn’t do to get publicity,’ he said.
‘The Crown is controversial enough as it is and I really believe there should not be a final series considering the damage it’s done already.
‘What is so strange is that this series was already controversial and to put a ghost on top of that is absolutely deplorable and tasteless.’
A Netflix source said the appearance of Debicki after Diana’s death was meant to be a ‘visualisations of innermost thoughts’ rather than intended to be interpreted as ‘supernatural’.